The images in the FSB's investigation raise questions

Of: 

Joachim Kerpner 

Published: Less than 20 min ago 

Updated: Less than 10 min ago 

NEWS 

The Russian security service's information about the explosion on the Crimean bridge feels probable, says Russia expert Malcolm Dixelius. 

At the same time, the security service's images of two suspicious trucks have raised questions. 

- There is nothing in this story that could not have happened. But that doesn't mean it's true for that, says Russia expert Malcom Dixelius. 

On Wednesday morning, the Russian news agency Interfax announced that eight Russian, Georgian and Ukrainian citizens had been arrested(meddelade ryska nyhetsbyrån Interfax), suspected of being behind the bombing of the Crimean bridge last Saturday. 

The Russian security service FSB has managed to follow the cargo of explosives from Ukraine, via Bulgaria, Georgia and Armenia to Russia - and reveal who organized the transport and who drove the truck, according to Interfax. 

Blurring the story are two photos that the state-run Russian news agency Ria Novosti has published of trucks allegedly used to transport the explosives. One shows a truck where the trailer has ten wheels, the other shows an X-ray of a truck with eight wheels. 

But an investigation by the exiled Russian newspaper The Insider(en granskning som den exilryska tidningen The Insider)rconcludes that it does not prove anything wrong in the FSB's version of the story, as it appears that several different trucks were used. 

Russia expert Malcom Dixelius says: 

- There is nothing in this story that could not have happened. But that does not mean that it is true for that. It seems a bit strange if it was really necessary to transport the explosives all the way from Ukraine, that you wouldn't be able to buy explosives like this in Russia. But it may require permission that these people have not had, says Dixelius. 

X-ray showing the cargo when it was in an eight-wheel trailer. Photo: Ria Novosti

Photo of the truck that allegedly exploded on the Krimbron. The trailer has ten wheels. Photo: Ria Novosti 

See doubts 

He notes that the naming of the eight men feels more likely than when Russian extremist Alexander Dugin's daughter Daria Dugina died from a car bomb. 

Then the Russian security service quickly singled out a named Ukrainian woman(pekade den ryska säkerhetstjänsten snabbt ut en namngiven ukrainsk kvinna), who would have been hired by the Ukrainian security service to assassinate Dugina. 

- That story seemed so improbable, you could tell at once that it seemed to be something they had done just to appear effective. The difference this time is that they have arrested a number of people and say they will be brought to justice. Then they have to show these people and the burden of proof falls to the highest degree on the Russian security service. 

Could those arrested be tortured? 

- Yes, it can be assumed that the FSB will use all heavy-handed methods to get a story out of them, if it is the case that they really have something to tell. It is very difficult to apply any kind of source criticism to this because we have no alternative truths to compare it to. 

Although Dixelius thinks that the information about those arrested is probable, he sees doubts in the story: 

- The biggest doubt you can have about this is how quickly it has gone, it gives cause for distrust. But somehow this truck is registered, that way it might have been relatively quick to roll up the story.

Photo: AFP/TT 

Greater risks 

He states that those who carried out the act may have deliberately taken great risks. 

- When you have to take such a symbolically important target as the Crimean Bridge, you may take greater risks in terms of those involved, and therefore it may be easier to find the tracks. 

Russia Claims Ukraine's Military Security Service Is Behind? 

- The FSB naturally wants to claim that in order to have a motive to attack them. But it could also have been some independent organization that has done this, for example the partisan movement in Russia. 

Are you to believe that the designated Russian citizen born in 1971 who was driving the truck knew what was going to happen? 

- It is unusual, there have not been suicide missions before in this context. There is