DUSHANBE: Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday refuted claims made by a high-ranking Russian security official regarding alleged recruitment activities by Ukraine within Tajikistan.
Tajik Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shokhin Samadi was quoted by Russian news agencies as stating, “We note that this assertion by the Russian official has no basis to it.”
The statement comes in response to remarks made by Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev earlier in the week. Patrushev, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, alleged, without solid evidence, that Ukraine’s embassy in Tajikistan was involved in recruiting mercenaries to fight against Russia. He also claimed that Ukrainian special services were behind a recent deadly concert shooting near Moscow.
However, Tajikistan has rejected these claims, emphasizing the lack of evidence to support such allegations.
The deadly concert shooting, which occurred last month and resulted in the deaths of at least 144 people, has been a subject of international scrutiny. While Patrushev implicated Ukrainian involvement, Ukraine has vehemently denied any connection to the attack. Furthermore, the United States has attributed the responsibility for the incident to Islamic State militants.
