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There are now a number of conspiracy theories surrounding the Moscow terrorist attack. The IS branch ISPK (“Islamic State in Khorasan Province” – a historical region in Central Asia) has claimed responsibility for the crime. Nevertheless, different places suspect completely different masterminds.
The Kremlin is trying to set a Ukrainian trail. Others believe that Vladimir Putin (71) himself is behind the massacre that has now left 143 dead.
Recently a theory was spread by the “men in blue”. It suggests that agents of Russia’s secret service FSB mingled with concertgoers and a few hours later arrested Tajiks who fired guns at the Crocus City Hall in the forest in the Bryansk region. However, the latest findings show that these assumptions are not true. But one after another.
Four men in blue sweaters in the concert hall
Not only random X-Users shared the shaky image comparisons a few days ago, the Belarusian opposition channel Nexta also spread the ‘Blue Men’ theory. The clothing of certain visitors had to ‘prove’ that the FSB was represented in the concert hall.
Footage taken by eyewitnesses from the hall shows four men, all dressed in blue sweaters and jeans, calling for the doors to be locked a few seconds before the shots ring out.
First at the concert and later at the arrest in Bryansk?
Nexta then published further details about two of these key players that should have made a connection with the secret service more credible.
Nexta included in its report a photo of a man published on the website of a sports center in the Moscow municipality of Sosenskoye. He posed with a certificate for third place in an arm wrestling competition. Also in Sosenskoye is the headquarters of the military intelligence service.
Nexta writes about another man that it would be the same person who was involved in the arrest in the forest a few hours later. “His face is covered by a mask, but his facial features, the shape of his head and the position of his eyes indicate that he is the same person.”
Nexta concludes that FSB agents use the blue color to disappear unnoticed in the crowd, but at the same time can easily recognize each other.
“Dear conspiracy theorists, I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
Now it’s coming out: the ‘Men in Blue’ construction is probably nothing more than another conspiracy theory.
The founder of the international investigative network Bellingcat, Eliot Higgins (45), writes about “An ordinary oil worker named Alexei Druzhkov, who has nothing to do with the FSB or the man in the mask.”
Together with other journalists, Bellingcat tears up the ‘blue men’ theory.
Physical education teacher and oil worker
The “FSB employee” from Sosenskoye turned out to be a physical education teacher Dmitry Yerokhin, as Maxim Litavrin, a journalist with the Russian independent project Mediazona, and another independent journalist, Andrei Sakharov, discovered.
Another “special agent” was identified as Alexei Druschkow by Roman Dobrochotow (40), editor-in-chief of the investigative medium “The Insider”, and Christo Grosev (54) of Bellingcat. Druschkow works at a petroleum research institute.
According to Nexta, it would be the same man who appears in the arrest videos – but is masked there. Several investigative journalists, including Aric Toler of the New York Times, point out that at another point in the same video recording, the man’s entire face can be seen as his mask slips off. There it becomes clear that they must be two different men, because the man in the forest has a beard, while the concertgoer is shaved.
Facial recognition program makes a devastating judgment
Christo Grosew also compared people who used a facial recognition program. The result: Even if they look 74 percent alike, they’re still different people. Because the threshold is 80 percent, Grosew explains.
However, a comparison of the concert screenshot with a photo of the same person in his younger years turns out to be a bull’s eye. Grosew posted the photo of the concertgoer in his younger years next to the video screenshot of the Wald arrest. Here the verdict is even more devastating: only ten percent agreement.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
