Newsletter: "Top Secret"

OPEN THREAT

Did the FSB know about the preparation of explosions in Moscow?

Vadim Saranov

In early May, a major political scandal broke out in the USA related to the memorable September terrorist attacks. The competence of American intelligence services, in particular the FBI and CIA, was called into serious question. It was said that they knew perfectly well about the impending terrorist attacks, but were unable to prevent them. The scandal involved a memo from the FBI field office in Phoenix, Arizona, warning of the threat posed by individuals from Arab countries studying at flight schools in the USA. It also stated that the Arab students were closely linked to "Al-Qaeda" and its permanent leader, Osama bin Laden. As a result, the heads of American intelligence services had to make long and tedious excuses in Congress and hastily restore their own prestige.

No one has made excuses to anyone for the apartment bombings in Moscow. Officially, this series of terrorist attacks was almost a complete surprise to the FSB. That's official. Documents at our disposal say otherwise. A few days before the first explosion, the operational unit of the Directorate of the FSB for Moscow and the Moscow Region received information about the preparation and execution of a series of terrorist attacks in Moscow. It very accurately reproduced the scenario of the bloody events of September 1999.

Freedom for Natalya Zander!

The signal came from the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, where a most curious appeal was received on August 21, 1999. Here is its text:
"Investigative and judicial authorities have turned to arbitrariness in their actions. We, volunteers, are forced to take measures against the ruling authorities and their henchmen. Thus, in the Ostankino court, Judge Matveev arrested Russian citizen Natalya Viktorovna Zander in the court building, a mother of two minor children, who also supports two elderly parents - disabled people of the 2nd group. We demand the release of Natalya Viktorovna Zander by September 1, 1999. Otherwise, every seven days, communications, buildings, etc., will be blown up.
Volunteers of Russia."

In the Directorate of the FSB for Moscow and the Moscow Region, the received message was treated attentively. However, they did not take "unprecedented security measures," and certainly did not release the arrested Zander. Apparently, the threats made by the "Volunteers of Russia" seemed too ghostly to the FSB operatives. At that time, it was indeed hard to believe. As time would show, this appeal became, at the very least, a prophecy.

Moscow on fire

On August 31, 1999, at approximately 8:00 PM, an explosion occurred in the slot machine hall of a shopping complex on Manezhnaya Square. It was caused by an unidentified (???) explosive device. Two people were seriously injured, and more than twenty were taken to Moscow hospitals with concussions of varying severity. This terrorist attack was followed by quite interesting events. On the morning of September 1, a man who introduced himself as Vladimir came to the editorial office of one of the capital's newspapers. He said he had exclusive information regarding the explosion that occurred the day before. Vladimir reported that the explosion was the work of Caucasians who were trying to free a certain Natalya Z. from custody in this way and that this was not the last terrorist attack. According to him, the Caucasians promised to organize "fireworks" every 5-7 days. The editorial office did not believe the strange visitor and did not publish an interview with him. The last time he came to the newspaper was on the evening of September 8. He said that in a few hours, an apartment building would be blown up in Moscow. On the night of September 8-9, an explosion occurred on Guryanova Street, and five days later...

The FSB Version

But here is what's interesting. In the course of the investigation into the series of terrorist attacks in Moscow, official FSB officials did not say a word about the "Volunteers of Russia" or their appeal. Although, from the point of view of common sense, this version should have become one of the priorities for the investigation. Apparently, the "committee members" were looking exclusively for a "Chechen trail" in the attacks. So that there would be something to "waste them in the outhouse." Or maybe, as some in the West say, they blew up the houses themselves. Then we have no questions for the FSB at all. One could also assume that the FSB simply did not want to, so to speak, "expose" this version. Like, it's a secret of the investigation. However, here too, the author of the note discovered some oddities. I managed not only to find the "Volunteers of Russia" but also to talk to their ideological leaders. It turns out that "Volunteers of Russia" is not an extremist organization at all and is not of a radical nature. Quite the opposite. This large youth organization pursues exclusively humane goals. It fights for the environment, helps the elderly and the disabled. But that's not even the point. As Svetlana Ryzhkova, director of the Moscow Center for Volunteering, responsibly stated to me, FSB officers never visited their office, let alone conducted raids or searches. Complete mysteries.

Of course, the FSB Directorate for Moscow and the Moscow Region does not forget anything just like that. They remembered the "volunteers'" appeal 9 months after the terrorist attacks. They even opened a criminal case. What article do you think? Article 207 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation: "Knowingly false report of a terrorist act." It turns out there were no terrorist attacks at all. As follows from FSB documents, "during operational-search measures and investigative actions," the authors of the appeal were identified. And in November 2000, one of them was charged in absentia. Who is he?

The accused was "searched for" for more than a year. They tapped phones and conducted physical surveillance. Everything as it should be. They took him on January 15, 2002. At that time, Anatoly Viktorovich Mylnikov, head of the economic security service of one of the large capital companies, was arrested in his office. The main basis for the detention was the testimony of a certain citizen Tumasyan, who reported that the text of the appeal was prepared by a close acquaintance of Natalya Zander, Anatoly Viktorovich Mylnikov. On the same day, he was imprisoned in the FSB's "Lefortovo" pre-trial detention center.

The Accused's Version

Mylnikov spent more than six months in the SIZO. Not long ago, he was released. On bail of thirty thousand rubles and a recognizance not to leave. Anatoly categorically denies his guilt and believes that the case is completely fabricated. Moreover, Mylnikov believes that the FSB had no right to initiate a criminal case against him at all. In accordance with the resolution of the State Duma and the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation "On the declaration of amnesty in connection with the 55th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45." However, Mylnikov was not released. He was accused of a more serious sin and charged under Article 205 "Terrorism." Amnesty does not apply to this article.

So why does the FSB need Mylnikov? He has a special opinion on this matter, which he shared with me during a recent meeting.

As Anatoly believes, in this way the FSB is trying to put pressure on him because he knows the true perpetrators of the terrorist attacks.

Who are they? Mylnikov, like some in the West, believes that the traces of the Moscow explosions lead towards Lubyanka. According to him, in July 1999, an acquaintance who was noticed to have links with the FSB suggested that he participate in "serious actions." He did not specify which ones. For communication, he left him a pager. Strange messages arrived on the pager before each explosion: "tomorrow there will be fireworks." Anatoly never explained to me why these messages were sent to him. According to him, he never hid from the FSB. And he was arrested only more than a year after the charges were filed for one simple reason. According to Mylnikov, after the disgraced oligarch Boris Berezovsky openly accused the FSB of the apartment bombings, Lubyanka was given the command to "urgently clean up the ends." That is, to eliminate witnesses. That's when they remembered him.

Our Version

One can have different attitudes towards this story and the FSB's investigative materials. As they say, believe it or not. The trial of Anatoly Viktorovich Mylnikov will take place in a month. Let's hope it will be fair. However, in this whole dark story, there are a number of extremely curious questions to which we have not been able to get answers.

It is quite likely that the threats of the "volunteers" were not such a bluff as the FSB thought. True, certain persons interested in the release of Natalya Zander did not blow anyone up, but simply very competently used the current situation. How else to explain the amazing coincidences between the appeal sent to the Prosecutor General's Office and the events that followed? It turns out that they knew about the upcoming explosions in Moscow. From where?

The strange position of the FSB is also surprising. Why, having such important evidence, did the FSB begin to develop exclusively the "Caucasian trace" of these terrorist attacks? Not a word was said about the "volunteers". Why didn't the FSB bother to check the actually existing organization "Volunteers of Russia"? Maybe they investigated to order? And finally, why immediately after the first terrorist attack did the FSB not take emergency measures to search for the authors of the appeal: after all, they could at least give important testimony. They were "found" only last winter. When the film "FSB Blows Up Russia" was released.