Putin's statement that Ukraine was "preparing a window" for suspects in the Krasnogorsk terrorist attack to cross the state border "does not stand up to any criticism", Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Defence Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, told the news telethon, according to Suspilne.
"You don't need to be a security expert to say this. A full-scale war has been going on for more than two years, and the border areas are saturated with enemy troops, special agents, representatives of special services, and security forces," Yusov said.
He added that it is likely that Russia will continue to "whip up hysteria, tighten the screws and eliminate even the formal remnants of civil rights and freedoms".
Putin said that all four perpetrators of the terrorist attack were detained as they tried to escape and were moving towards Ukraine. He added that the attackers acted like Nazis, "planning to organise a demonstrative execution, a bloody act of intimidation".
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's dismissed any allegations of the country's involvement in the shooting in Moscow Region.