Zelensky on shootings in Moscow: "Absolutely predictable" Putin's efforts to connect it with Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on March 23 about the terror attack in Moscow, rejecting Kremlin reports linking it to Ukraine.

While the Islamic State terrorist claimed responsibility for the attack, Russian officials have tried to link it to Kiev without providing any evidence. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the arrested suspects were planning to flee to Ukraine, where he had supposedly prepared a "window" for them.

"Putin and his thugs are just trying to blame someone else... It has happened before. There have been house blowing ups, shootings, explosions and they always blame others," Zelensky said in his speech.

"They (Russia) came to Ukraine, they are burning our cities - and they are trying to blame Ukraine," Zelensky said just a day after Russia launched its biggest attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, killing five civilians and injuring dozens.

"They sent hundreds of thousands of terrorists here on Ukrainian soil, they are fighting against us and they don't care what happens in their country."

Zelensky noted that Putin initially remained silent about the terrorist attack, waiting a full day to find a way to "connect it to Ukraine."

"It was all completely predictable."

The Ukrainian president commented that "the hundreds of thousands of Russians being killed right now on Ukrainian soil would certainly be enough to stop any terrorists."

"If Russians are prepared to die quietly and not ask questions of their security services, then Putin will try to use more cases like this to strengthen his personal power."

Kiev has previously rejected claims of involvement in the mass attack. The White House said there was no indication that Ukraine was behind the attack in Moscow.

Ukraine's military intelligence service (HUR) called the attack a "deliberate provocation by Putin's special services." HUR claimed the attack was intended to justify "even harder" strikes in Ukraine and full mobilization in Russia.

With information from Kyiv Independent