Ukraine denies Russian claim Kyiv sent drones to hit Kremlin
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia claimed it foiled an attack by Ukrainian drones on the Kremlin early Wednesday, calling it an unsuccessful assassination attempt against President Vladimir Putin and promising retaliation for what it termed a “terrorist” act. The Ukrainian president denied it, saying: “We don’t attack Putin or Moscow.”
Putin wasn’t in the Kremlin at the time and was at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.
There was no independent verification of the purported attack, which Russia authorities said occurred overnight but presented no evidence to support it. Questions also arose as to why it took the Kremlin hours to report the incident and why videos of it also surfaced later in the day.
A video posted overnight on a local Moscow news Telegram channel, shot across the river from the Kremlin, appeared to show smoke rising over the buildings. It wasn’t possible to ascertain its veracity. According to text accompanying the footage, residents of a nearby apartment building reported hearing bangs and seeing smoke at about 2:30 a.m.
Associated Press
The Kremlin is pictured Wednesday in Moscow.
Another video on social media, which looks to be taken from across Red Square, appears to show the moment a drone explodes in a flash of fire above the roof of the Senate Palace in the Kremlin, with debris falling on the roof. It also was not possible to independently verify this footage.
The Kremlin said Russian military and security forces stopped the drones before they could strike. Nobody was hurt, it added. Its official website said debris from the drones fell on the Kremlin grounds without damage.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on an unannounced visit to Helsinki for talks with the leaders of five Nordic countries, denied any role.
Vesa Moilanen, Lehtikuva
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto review the honor guard Wednesday at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland.
“We don’t attack Putin or Moscow. We fight on our territory. We’re defending our villages and cities,” he said at a news conference.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said the claims could provide a pretext for Russia “to justify massive strikes on Ukrainian cities, on the civilian population, on infrastructure facilities.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the U.S. was “unable to confirm the authenticity” of Russia’s claim.
Asked whether the U.S. believed Putin was a lawful target of any potential Ukrainian strike, Jean-Pierre said that since the start of the conflict, the U.S. was “not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its border.”
U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said the United Nations “is not in a position to confirm these reports. We strongly reiterate our call on all concerned to refrain from any rhetoric or action that could further escalate the conflict.”
The purported drone attack would be a significant escalation in the 14-month conflict, with Ukraine taking the war to the heart of Russian power.
Phillips O’Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews, said, “It certainly wasn’t an attempt to assassinate Putin, because he doesn’t sleep in the roof and he probably never sleeps in the Kremlin.”
James Nixey, director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Chatham House think tank, said “the two most likely possibilities are a ‘warning shot across the bows’ by Kyiv or a false flag operation by Moscow designed to justify more intense attacks in Ukraine or more conscription.”
If it was a warning shot by Kyiv, then it was “yet another shocking security lapse by the Russian state,” he said.
“If it’s a false flag operation by Moscow, then it reeks of desperation,” Nixey added. “And it’s a high-risk strategy likely to be exposed, considering how poor their tradecraft seems to be.”
The alleged attack prompted calls in Russia from pro-Kremlin figures for assassinations of senior leaders in Ukraine.
The Kremlin claimed the attack was planned to disrupt Victory Day, which Russia celebrates in Red Square on May 9 to commemorate the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Peskov said the parade would go on as scheduled.
Alexander Zemlianichenko, Associated Press
A 'No fly zone' sign is seen Wednesday at the Red Square next to the Kremlin in Moscow.
Before the news about the alleged attack broke, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin issued a ban on using drones in the Russian capital, with an exception for those launched by authorities. He gave no reason for the ban, saying only it would prevent the “illegal use of drones that can hinder the work of law enforcement.”
Zelenskyy was in Finland seeking greater firepower for his armed forces as they figure out how to dislodge Russian troops from occupied areas of Ukraine.
Both Ukraine and Russia reportedly have experienced ammunition shortages after a winter of long-range shelling and missile strikes. Kyiv has been pressing its allies for more as officials consider when to start driving Russian forces out of Ukrainian territory they occupy.
In fighting Wednesday, 16 civilians were killed in a “massive attack” by Russian forces on southern Kherson province, the Prosecutor General’s Office said.
