Putin Escapes Assassination
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Two Ukrainian attack drones strike the Kremlin Palace while the Russian President was working away at the country’s “Camp David” Kiev denies responsibility
Ukraine launched two drone attacks overnight intended to strike the Kremlin residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, his office has reported. The aircraft were downed using electronic warfare measures and caused no casualties or damage, according to a presidential administration statement. Moscow considers the incident an act of terrorism.
The attack occurred late on Tuesday night, and both unmanned aircraft fell on the grounds of the Kremlin in Moscow, according to the president’s office, who also confirmed that the Russian leader’s schedule was not affected.
“We consider this a preplanned terrorist action and an attempt against the Russian president,” it added. The incident happened “ahead of Victory Day and the parade on May 9, when foreign guests plan to be present.”
Russia reserves the right to retaliate in a manner, place and time of its choosing, the statement noted.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that the president was absent from the Kremlin when the drones were downed. He is currently at the presidential residence in Novo-Ogaryovo in Moscow Region, to the west of the capital known as the Russian Camp David
The Russian Camp David
There is footage circulating on social media, which purports to show the aftermath, with a plume of smoke juxtaposed against the night cityscape above the territory of the historic seat of Russian power.
Another short clip appears to show the moment one of the drones exploded over the Kremlin Senate, which hosts the presidential administration and also serves as a working residence of the Russian head of state. It was not clear what caused the blast, though two people can be seen in the video on the dome of the building.
Moscow’s authorities have banned the unauthorized use of drones, the Russian capital’s mayor Sergey Sobyanin announced on Wednesday. The measure was introduced shortly after an unsuccessful Ukrainian attempt to attack the Kremlin residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Writing on Telegram, Sobyanin said that the flying of UAVs in the Russian capital would be prohibited starting from today, with an exception being made for drones used with the authorities’ approval.
“This decision was taken in order to prevent unauthorised use of UAVs, which could hamper the work of law enforcement agencies,” the mayor explained, reminding his audience that anyone who breaks this rule could face administrative and criminal liability.
Moscow’s authorities have banned the unauthorized use of drones, the Russian capital’s mayor Sergey Sobyanin announced on Wednesday. The measure was introduced shortly after an unsuccessful Ukrainian attempt to attack the Kremlin residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Writing on Telegram, Sobyanin said that the flying of UAVs in the Russian capital would be prohibited starting from today, with an exception being made for drones used with the authorities’ approval.
“This decision was taken in order to prevent unauthorized use of UAVs, which could hamper the work of law enforcement agencies,” the mayor explained, reminding his audience that anyone who breaks this rule could face administrative and criminal liability.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government has denied Moscow’s accusations that it attempted to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack on the Kremlin in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
“We don’t attack Putin or Moscow, we fight on our territory, we’re defending our villages and cities,” President Vladimir Zelensky said at a press conference in Helsinki, after meeting with the leaders of Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. “We don’t have, you know, enough weapons for this.”
“We have no information about the so-called night attacks,” Zelensky’s press secretary Sergey Nikiforov told BBC Russian. He claimed his country was focused on “liberating its own territory, not attacking other nations.”
Zelensky’s aide Mikhail Podolyak attributed the drone attack to “the guerilla activities of local resistance forces.” He likewise insisted that Ukraine was conducting “an exclusively defensive war and [did] not attack targets on the territory of the Russian Federation.”
Russia has accused Kiev of orchestrating several high-profile crimes on its territory, including the assassination of journalist Darya Dugina last August. The Ukrainian government denies any involvement in these incidents. According to Western media, even its backers in Washington believe Kiev was responsible for the Dugina murder and chastised the Zelenksy government for recklessness.
Since the start of the conflict in February 2022, several Russian regions bordering Ukraine, including Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk, have been repeatedly targeted by Kiev’s drone and missile attacks. The strikes have targeted energy infrastructure and residential areas, resulting in several civilian deaths and many injuries, as well as the destruction of property.
Source Reuters/AP/TASS/RT
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