Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport on March 24 delayed a flight to Yerevan after a passenger claimed she had a “bomb” in her carry-on luggage, Russian state news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti reported.
According to RIA Novosti, security measures at the airport have been increased, with other "flights continuing to operate on schedule.”
The reports come two days after several gunmen opened fire at a concert hall in a Moscow suburb, killing over 130 people and injuring at least 140.
While the Islamic State terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack, Russian officials are attempting to connect it to Kyiv without providing any evidence. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin claimed on March 23 that the detained suspects planned to flee to Ukraine, where a “window” was supposedly prepared for them.
According to the Kremlin, a total of 11 people involved in the shooting have been detained, four of whom were called “the perpetrators.” When addressing the shooting on March 23, Putin did not mention the fact that the Islamic State had claimed responsibility, nor the warnings by Western countries about a possible terrorist attack in Moscow.
Kyiv has previously dismissed the allegations of its involvement in the mass shooting. The White House said there was no indication that Ukraine was behind the Moscow attack.
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) called the shooting a “deliberate provocation by Putin's special services.” HUR claimed the attack was intended to justify “even tougher” strikes on Ukraine and a mobilization of conscripts in Russia.
Kateryna Denisova
(Updated: )
