In a televised meeting with top government officials, President Vladimir Putin of Russia acknowledged for the first time that "radical Islamists" were responsible for Friday's devastating attack on a concert hall outside Moscow. However, Putin also reiterated his previous claims that Ukraine may have been involved in the attack and suggested that Washington was attempting to cover it up.

The attack, which occurred at the popular music venue Crocus City Hall, saw camouflaged gunmen storming in, opening fire on concert-goers, and setting the building ablaze. The horrifying incident claimed the lives of at least 139 people and left 182 others wounded. Eleven individuals were arrested on Saturday in connection with the attack.

Regarding the perpetrators, Putin stated, "We know that the crime was committed by radical Islamists, whose ideology the Islamic world has itself been fighting for centuries." He further expressed his belief that the United States was trying to convince other countries that Ukraine had no involvement in the attack, stating, "This atrocity may be just one link in a whole series of attempts by those who have been at war with our country since 2014," referring to Ukraine as a "neo-Nazi regime."

Putin also raised questions about the terrorists' decision to head towards Ukraine after committing the crime, asking, "Who was waiting for them there?" The President had previously claimed that the gunmen had attempted to escape towards the Ukrainian border before being detained the following morning.

The Islamic State's affiliate, ISIS-K, has claimed responsibility for the attack, making it the deadliest in Russia since the 2003 Beslan school siege. Graphic videos of the gunmen committing the mass killing at Crocus City Hall have surfaced on social media channels linked to the militant group.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refrained from commenting on the apparent connection between the Islamic State and the concert attack earlier on Monday.

As the investigation into the Moscow concert attack continues, Putin's remarks have added further complexity to the ongoing discussion surrounding the potential motivations and involvement of various entities in the tragedy.