Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday pushed back against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that Ukraine had a hand in a terrorist attack in Moscow that killed at least 133 people.
“No,” Harris said, when asked by ABC’s Rachel Scott if the U.S. had any evidence of Ukrainian involvement in the attack on a concert hall in Russia’s capital Friday night. “And first, let me start by saying what has happened is an act of terrorism and the number of people who’ve been killed is obviously a tragedy and we should all send our condolences to those families.”
“No, there is no, whatsoever, any evidence and, in fact, what we know to be the case is that ISIS-K is actually, by all accounts, responsible for what happened,” Harris added.
Putin suggested Ukrainian forces were involved during a televised address Saturday night. Ukrainian officials have denied any involvement in the massacre, while the Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan has claimed responsibility for what’s become one of the deadliest attacks on Russian soil in recent years.
U.S. agencies warned Russian officials earlier this month about the possibility of a planned terrorist attack in Moscow, according to National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.
“Earlier this month, the U.S. Government had information about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow — potentially targeting large gatherings, to include concerts — which prompted the State Department to issue a public advisory to Americans in Russia. The U.S. Government also shared this information with Russian authorities in accordance with its longstanding ‘duty to warn’ policy,” Watson said in a statement.