Tajikistan rejects Russian claim that Ukraine is recruiting its citizens

(Reuters) - Tajikistan's foreign ministry on Saturday rejected a claim by a top Russian security official that Ukraine's embassy in the Tajik capital was recruiting mercenaries to fight against Russia.

"We note that this assertion by the Russian official has no basis to it," Russian news agencies quoted Tajik Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shokhin Samadi as saying.

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, a top ally of President Vladimir Putin, said on Wednesday, without providing evidence, that "Ukrainian special services" were behind last month's deadly concert shooting near Moscow and that the Ukrainian embassy in Tajikistan was recruiting fighters, state media reported.

Ukraine has denied having anything to do with the attack that killed at least 144 people, and the United States has said Islamic State militants bore sole responsibility.

(Reporting by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Mark Potter)