


Russia claims President Vladimir Putin survived an assassination attempt after the country downed two Ukrainian drones over the Kremlin.
Putin was not in the Kremlin when the attack occurred, as he was working in St. Petersburg, according to TASS, a state media outlet. There were no casualties reported. The size and type of drones used were not clear, though videos on social media appear to show a small- to medium-sized drone with a relatively smaller payload size. Russia vowed the right to retaliate against Ukraine in whatever way it sees fit.
Russia did not provide any evidence to support the claim the drones were part of an assassination attempt.
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A video of one of the drones, posted on social media, shows one of the drones exploding above the roof of one of the Kremlin's buildings. It appears to have detonated upon hitting a flagpole mounted on the building.
BREAKING: Footage surfaces of Ukrainian drone strike on the Kremlin last night. Russian govt confirms 2 unmanned aircraft downed by electronic-warfare systems after crashing into the Kremlin. Tensions escalate amid #UkraineRussiaWar️, inching closer to WW3. #KremlinStrike… pic.twitter.com/RdOHmcsh5k
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) May 3, 2023
"The Russian president was not harmed as a result of the terrorist attack. His schedule has not changed and continues as usual," the Russian presidential press service said.
"The Kiev regime carried out an attempt to deliver a strike by unmanned aerial vehicles on the Kremlin residence of the Russian president," it added. "Two unmanned aerial vehicles targeted the Kremlin."
The Kremlin credits the use of electronic warfare systems with downing the drones, though it appears to imply that the drones exploded.
"As a result of timely actions taken by military and special services using electronic warfare systems, the drones were disabled. Their fall and the fragments scattered around on the territory of the Kremlin caused no casualties or material damage," it said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine denied any involvement in the attack, accusing Russia of playing a "trick."
"We do not have information on so called night attacks on Kremlin," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's spokesman Serhiy Nykyforov told CNN on Wednesday. "As President Zelensky has stated numerous times before, Ukraine uses all means at its disposal to free its own territory, not to attack others."
"A terror attack is destroyed blocks of residential buildings in Dnipro and Uman, or a missile at a line at Kramatorsk rail station and many other tragedies," he added. "What happened in Moscow is obviously about escalating the mood on the eve of May 9."
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak echoed Nykyforov's statements, saying that the attack would be pointless and it shows an effort by Russia to prepare large-scale provocations that would be blamed on Ukraine.
"It definitely does not change anything at a battlefield," Podolyak said. "This would allow Russia to justify mass strikes on Ukrainian cities, civilians, and infrastructure facilities. Why would we need that? What’s the logic?"
"I think it is absolutely obvious that simultaneous 'announcement of an attack on Kremlin' and detention of so-called Ukrainian saboteurs in Crimea on a different charge clearly signals Russia is preparing a large-scale terrorist provocation in the coming days," he said.
Podolyak also said that the alleged provocation was meant to distract from Ukraine's offensive and possibly provide a "pretext for a large-scale terrorist attack in Ukraine."
One video posted on social media shows smoke rising above the Kremlin in the explosion's aftermath.
BREAKING: The Kremlin has reported that there was an alleged attempt by Ukraine to carry out a drone strike on Putin's residence. pic.twitter.com/m82rTnOg2f
— 301 Military (@301military) May 3, 2023
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Another video appears to show the roof of one of the Kremlin's buildings partially on fire or the burning wreckage of one of the drones lying on top of it.
#BREAKING Another footage of Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Kremlin overnight. pic.twitter.com/ovygw67jTR
— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 3, 2023