The Kremlin vowed retaliation Wednesday after shooting down two drones in an alleged Ukrainian assassination attempt on Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to state-run media and videos posted on social media reportedly showing the strike on the capitol.
The two unmanned aircraft crashed into the Kremlin after Russia’s electronic warfare defenses shot them down, and Putin was not present in the Kremlin when the attacks occurred, according to state-run TASS News Agency, citing the Kremlin’s press service. Multiple videos circulating on social media showed smoke emanating from the roof of the Kremlin and what appeared to be anti-aircraft weapons firing, but the videos could not be independently verified at this time.
“Russia reserves the right to take retaliatory measures whenever and wherever it sees fit,” the Kremlin said in a statement, according to state-run TASS News Agency. (RELATED: Explosions Hit Military Bases Deep Inside Russia As Ukraine Hints At Long-Range Strikes)
“Last night, the Kiev regime attempted to attack the Russian president’s Kremlin residence using unmanned aerial vehicles,” the statement reportedly said. “As a result of timely actions taken by the military and special services using radar warfare systems, the devices were put out of action” and the president continues his regular schedule.
Fragments of falling drone debris did not cause any damage, the press service added, according to TASS.
The aftermath of the attack, showing smoke emanating from the Kremlin, was captured in a video posted by a Wall Street Journal journalist which reportedly originated in a “neighborhood social media channel.”
Moscow called the attack “a pre-planned act of terrorism and an attempt on the life of the Russian president, which took place just before the Victory Day and the May 9 Parade that will be attended by foreign guests.” The victory parade celebrates Russia’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, according to The Wall Street Journal.
💥Повідомляють, що у Кремлі цієї ночі було 2 хлопка pic.twitter.com/bd4xCjeLGL
— Serhii Sternenko ✙ (@sternenko) May 3, 2023
Ukraine’s Office of the President denied having knowledge of the alleged attack, Voice of America reported.
“It’s all predictable… Russia is clearly preparing a large-scale terrorist attack,” adviser to the head of the presidential office Mykhailo Podolyak said in a statement on social media, suggesting Moscow could construe the alleged assassination attempt as a justification for an intensified assault on Ukraine.
Podolyak noted that drones can be easily acquired, and their presence over the Kremlin may demonstrate a loss of power over Russian internal matters.
“The emergence of unidentified unmanned aerial vehicles at energy facilities or on Kremlin’s territory can only indicate the guerilla activities of local resistance forces,” he said.
Footage of the Kremlin following reported Ukrainian drone attack last night. https://t.co/hnN3eW822e
— Faytuks News Δ (@Faytuks) May 3, 2023
The Ukrainian ministry of defense and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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