Evidence links attackers to Ukrainians

Russia's Investigative Committee said yesterday it had uncovered evidence that the gunmen who killed 143 people in an attack on a concert hall last week were linked to "Ukrainian nationalists".

In a statement, it said the attackers had received significant amounts of cash and cryptocurrency from Ukraine.

Ukraine has emphatically denied it had anything to do with the attack, the deadliest in Russia for 20 years.

"As a result of work with the detained terrorists, an examination of technical devices seized from them and analysis of financial transactions, evidence of their links with Ukrainian nationalists has been obtained," Russia's Investigative Committee said.

Meanwhile, Aminchon Islomov and his father, two of eight suspects, have appealed their pre-trial detention, Russian state news agency RIA reported yesterday.