Kremlin charges Ukraine attempted to assassinate Putin

by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News May 3, 2023

The Russian government accused Ukraine of attempting to assassinate Vladimir Putin via an overnight drone strike on the Kremlin that was foiled by Russian defenses.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin

“Two unmanned aerial vehicles were aimed at the Kremlin,” the Russian government said through the official communication channel Tass on Wednesday morning, releasing a statement alleging they had fended off an attack against the heart of the Russian state by Ukrainian drones.

Putin was not in the Kremlin at the time of the attack, Russian sources said.

The Kremlin released dramatic video footage showing what is claimed to be a “terrorist attack.”

The Kremlin said in a statement:

“Tonight, the Kyiv regime made an attempt to strike with unmanned aerial vehicles on the Kremlin residence of the President of the Russian Federation… two unmanned aerial vehicles were aimed at the Kremlin. As a result of timely actions taken by the military and special services with the use of radar warfare systems, the devices were put out of action.”

Videos purporting to show the drone strike and its aftermath circulated on social media, suggesting it was a close call for the Russians, with one drone apparently being intercepted over the roof of a government building.

Only one of the videos appears to have been semi-officially acknowledged by the Russian government and shows a column of smoke rising above the Kremlin.

Ukraine government spokesmen told Western media outlets that Ukraine denies involvement and suggested the attack may have been the work of guerillas working inside Russia.

Radio Free Europe cites Mykhaylo Podolyak, a Ukraine government advisor, who said: “The emergence of unidentified unmanned aerial vehicles at energy facilities or on Kremlin’s territory can only indicate the guerrilla activities of local resistance forces. As you know, drones can be bought at any military store.

“The loss of power control over the country by Putin’s clan is obvious. But on the other hand, Russia has repeatedly talked about its total control over the air. In a word, something is happening in [The Russian Federation], but definitely without Ukraine’s drones over the Kremlin”.

Russia responded to the alleged attack by saying it “reserves the right to respond,” raising the question of whether the claim of a Ukrainian attempted assassination against Putin would be used as the pretext for a strike against Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in return.

The Kremlin said: “We regard these actions as a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the life of the President of the Russian Federation, carried out on the eve of Victory Day, the May 9 parade, at which the presence of foreign guests is also planned.”

The Russian government has acknowledged the frequency with which targets inside Russia were being attacked, saying: “We are, of course, aware that the Kyiv regime, which is behind a number of such attacks and terrorist acts, plans to continue this tactic… All our special services have been doing everything that is necessary to ensure security. Intensive and concerted work is underway.”

Russia’s claims of an attempted Ukrainian drone strike against Putin came just days after another claim of an attempted attack. Russia acknowledged that a Ukrainian drone “packed with explosives” had crash-landed on the outskirts of Moscow last week, but refused to speculate on what it might have been doing there.

A report in German media later said, citing Ukrainian sources, that Kyiv intelligence had gained advanced warning of Putin doing a factory visit, and planned to try and blow him up.

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