Russia has accused Ukraine of attempting to assassinate Vladimir Putin in a double drone strike on the Kremlin overnight.
Moscow furiously decried the attack as ‘a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the life of the President of the Russian Federation.’
The allegation of the failed assassination attempt was made by the Kremlin today and reported by Russian news agencies.
It said two drones had been used in the alleged attack, but had been disabled by Russian defences. Video appeared to show smoke rising over the Kremlin.
‘Two unmanned vehicles were aimed at the Kremlin… the devices were put out of action,’ Moscow’s statement read. In a chilling threat, Russia made clear it reserved the right to respond to the alleged drone strike.
Putin was not injured, and there was no material damage to the Kremlin buildings, the Kremlin said, adding that Putin is safe and continues to work.
‘The Kremlin has assessed these actions as a planned terrorist act and an assassination attempt on the president on the eve of Victory Day, the May 9 Parade,’ RIA said. It said Putin had not changed his schedule and was working as usual.
‘The Russian side reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit,’ the statement said.
Telegram channels are sharing what appears to be videos of anti-aircraft fire over the Kremlin, while there were reports of a noise like a ‘thunderclap’ in Moscow.
Residents of Stalinist House on the Embankment ‘saw sparks in the sky and people with flashlights near the Kremlin wall after the claps’.
A Kremlin source said: ‘Two unmanned aerial vehicles were aimed at the Kremlin.
‘As a result of timely actions taken by the military and special services using radar warfare systems, the devices were disabled.’
RIA Novosti state news agency reported: ‘As a result of the terrorist act, the president was not injured.
‘The schedule of his work has not changed and will continue as usual.’
‘There were no casualties during the fall and scattering of UAV fragments on the territory of the Kremlin.’
Russia has massively increased air defences in Moscow and around Putin’s palaces and residences.
It is not specified whether Putin was in his official flat in the Kremlin at the time of the attack.
He told in March that he is living in his apartment more often. State media 360TV reported Putin was not in the Kremlin at the time.
Dmitry Peskov said Putin was working as normal today at his official residence outside the city.
Russian pro-war analysts expressed shock that drones could penetrate defences to the Kremlin, the most sacred fortress in Russia.
The alleged attack comes ahead of a huge military parade scheduled against a backdrop of the Kremlin on Red Square on 9 May, marking Victory Day – the Soviet defeat of Hitler.
In March Putin said: ‘I have an apartment here [in the Kremlin], where I spend a lot of time lately. I work here and spend a lot of nights often.’
He met Chinese president Xi in the flat ‘sitting by the fireplace and drinking tea, [and] talked about everything slowly’.
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