Moscow (AP): Russian authorities accused Ukraine on Wednesday of attempting to attack the Kremlin with two drones overnight in an effort to assassinate President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin decried the alleged attack attempt as a “terrorist act” and said Russian military and security forces stopped the drones before they could strike.
In a statement carried by Russian state-run news agencies, it said no casualties took place. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti that Putin wasn’t in the Kremlin at the time and was working from the Novo-Ogaryovo residence. The Kremlin added that Putin was safe and his schedule was unchanged. The Kremlin didn’t present any evidence from the reported incident, and its statement included few details.
Ukraine has said it has "nothing to do" with alleged Kremlin drone attack. "Ukraine has nothing to do with drone attacks on the Kremlin," presidential spokesman Mikhaylo Podolyak said. "Ukraine does not attack the Kremlin because, firstly, that does not solve any military aims," he added.
Tass quoted the statement as saying that the Kremlin considered the development to be a deliberate attempt on Putin's life ahead of the Victory Day that Russia celebrates on May 9. Kremlin spokesman Peskov said a military parade would take place as scheduled that day. Russia retains the right to respond “when and where it sees fit,” the Tass report said, quoting the statement.
Russia has frequently accused Ukraine of planning attacks inside the country, often met with denials from Ukraine. The alleged incident comes 14 months into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ahead of an expected counteroffensive by Kyiv's military. The Kremlin said the president’s schedule was unaffected by the incident. Its website said Putin held a meeting with the Nizhny Novgorod region governor Gleb Nikitin Wednesday afternoon. (AP inputs)
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