Russia denounced this Wednesday a Ukrainian attack with droneswhich managed to be neutralized, against the Kremlin and in order to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin. The serious accusations were denied by kyiv, which considers it an excuse to justify a new escalation. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, questioned the Russian complaint by stating that, “like everything that comes out of the Kremlin”, it must be taken with caution.
Attack on Putin
In a statement, the Kremlin denounced that “tonight the kyiv regime tried to hit the president’s residence with drones From Russia“. He also assured that two unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down, the remains of which fell on the presidential compound without causing victims or material damage. A video published by some Russian media on social networks shows a small drone approaching the Kremlin, before exploding. other footage shows a column of smoke above the building.
“These actions are a planned terrorist attack and an attempt on the life of the President of the Russian Federationperpetrated on the eve of Victory Day,” the Russian government said in reference to the May 9 military parade in Red Square, dedicated to the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. The Kremlin noted that the president, who does not usually stay overnight in the Kremlin but on the outskirts of the capital, “he was not injured” and “continues to work as usual.”
Russia further warned that “reserves the right to take retaliatory action where and when it considers it appropriate”, while the national justice system announced the opening of an investigation for “terrorism in relation to an attempt to attack the residence of the president”.
The Chairman of the Russian Duma, Viacheslav Volodinmaintained that the alleged assassination attempt on Putin “is an attack on Russia”, and demanded to sue “the use of weapons capable of stopping and destroying the kyiv terrorist regime”.
The fear of an attack in the capital intensified in recent months after the discovery of several drones in the region, the last one this Wednesday in Kolomna, 110 kilometers south of Moscow. The authorities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg prohibited the use of drones on Wednesday, except those for state use.
kyiv’s response
the ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyfor his part, He denied his country’s involvement in what would be the most spectacular of the attacks attributed to kyiv on Russian territory since the start of the intervention of Moscow troops in Ukraine, in February 2022. “We have not attacked Putin, we leave that for a court”Zelenski declared from Helsinki, the capital of Finland, after participating as a guest at a summit of five Nordic countries.
“We do not attack Putin or Moscow, we only fight on our territory, we defend our towns and cities,” Zelensky remarked. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted that “something is happening in Russia, but definitely no Ukrainian drones over the Kremlin.”
According to Podolyak, “Russia is clearly preparing a large-scale terrorist attack” against Ukraine with this denunciation as an excuse, insinuating that it may be a false flag attack or the clandestine work of the “local resistance”.
Washington’s “Caution”
USAone of Ukraine’s main allies in this armed conflict, said it was taking Russia’s statements with caution. “I saw the information. I can’t validate it, we don’t know”said the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinkwho added: “I would take anything coming out of the Kremlin very carefully.”
At an event in Washington, organized by the daily Washington Post On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, Blinken also referred to the recent mega-leak of secret Pentagon documents. These documents brought to light the concerns of the US authorities about the state of Ukrainian air defenses and the preparation of the armed forces to launch their announced counteroffensive against Russian troops.
Blinken said he discussed the matter with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, to whom he expressed that the United States “very much regrets the unauthorized exposure of these documents and takes its obligations and responsibilities to protect the information very seriously.” In parallel Washington announced this Wednesday a new military aid package to Ukraine for 300 million dollarswhich includes additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
The counteroffensive, getting closer
This attack against the Kremlin, the first in more than 70 years, is not the only one: on Tuesday in the Russian region of Bryansk, bordering Ukraine, a freight train derailed after an explosion on the line, the second in two days, and an airfield was attacked by five drones. In addition, at dawn a fuel depot caught fire in the town of Volná, in the Russian region of Krasnodar, due to the fall of a drone.
While Russia now turns its attention to attack and sabotage, Ukraine continues with its plans to launch at the right time for its counteroffensive. The Kherson military administration announced on Wednesday an unprecedented 58-hour curfew which will start on Friday, a decision that makes us think about the possible start of the offensive.
The Kherson region is, according to analysts, one of the possible areas from which Ukrainian forces could launch their counteroffensive. The eponymous capital was recaptured by kyiv troops in November.
In Finland, Zelensky was optimistic about the upcoming war operations. “I think this year will be decisive for us, for Europe, for Ukraine, decisive for victory” against Russia, said the Ukrainian president.
