Ukraine's military intelligence has sharply rejected comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin about the country's alleged involvement in Friday's terrorist attack on a Moscow concert hall.
Putin's claim that four perpetrators were arrested on their way to an escape route into Ukraine is an "absolutely false and absurd statement," the spokesman of the HUR intelligence service, Andriy Yusov, said on Saturday.
"Of course, this version cannot stand up to criticism," the spokesman said, according to the Ukrainian Pravda website.
"Everyone in the world understands this, except perhaps the zombified Russian population," he added, listing the many obstacles preventing any such infiltration across the border.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been under way for more than two years, and the border areas are full of its troops, special agents, intelligence services and security forces, Yusov said.
"The border line is mined, it is monitored using all means, including aerial reconnaissance from both sides."
The spokesman accused the Kremlin of wanting to use the tragedy in Moscow to intensify repression within Russia.
A day after at least 133 people died in the attack by gunmen on the Crocus City Hall concert hall near Moscow, Putin claimed in a televised speech that four of 11 suspects arrested had tried to flee to Ukraine.
He cited a "Ukrainian trail" in Friday's bloody events, using a Russian expression for apportioning blame or involvement.
Russian propagandists were also quick to dismiss as fake a letter of confession from the Islamic State terrorist militia, which claimed responsibility for the attack.
