NEW YORK, March 28. /TASS/. American officials did not share with their Russian counterparts all the data on the planned terrorist attack at suburban Moscow concert venue Crocus City Hall for fear that Moscow would expose US intelligence sources and methods, The New York Times reported.
According to its information, "the adversarial relationship between Washington and Moscow prevented US officials from sharing any information about the plot beyond what was necessary, out of fear Russian authorities might learn their intelligence sources or methods."
Senior US officials said that Washington has been closely monitoring the activities of the Islamic State extremist group (IS, outlawed in Russia) in recent months. The newspaper’s sources said that during the surveillance, which included electronic intercepts, informants and other means, US agents received very specific information about plans for a terrorist attack being prepared in Russia.
When asked to comment on this information, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was unaware of any such plot and urged to carefully approach the newspaper’s article.
"The information of The New York Times, citing sources, is information that should be treated with great caution," the spokesman pointed out.
On the evening of March 22, a terrorist attack targeted the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region, just outside the Moscow city limits. At least 143 people were killed. According to the latest data, some 360 people were injured, 205 of whom received medical assistance.
Eleven people suspected of involvement in the terrorist attack have been apprehended, including the four gunmen, who were arrested in the Bryansk Region, southwest of Moscow, as they attempted to flee to Ukraine across the nearby border.
President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address that, according to preliminary information, the Ukrainian side had prepared "a window" at the border especially for the terrorists to cross undetected. He promised to identify and punish all those who were behind the attack on Crocus City Hall.