Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Shaun Walker, Pjotr Sauer and Andrew Roth

Did Ukraine war lead Russian security services to neglect Islamist threat?

A woman stands at a memorial in Moscow to the victims of the Islamic State terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall.
A woman stands at a memorial in Moscow to the victims of the Islamic State terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall. Photograph: Anatoly Maltsev/EPA

As Russia observes a day of mourning for the victims of Friday’s terror attack, along with the sorrow comes the hard question that follows most similar incidents: how could this have happened?

Rooting out determined and well-trained terrorist cells is not an easy task for security services in any country, but there are numerous signs that failing to prevent Friday’s attack was in large part down to a catastrophic security failure on the part of Russian authorities.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.