Key Takeaways:
- The Kremlin has allegedly curbed a Ukrainian assassination attempt on Vladimir Putin
- According to the Russian Government, Ukraine tried to assassinate the Russian president using two unmanned aerial vehicles
- Ukraine has denied any hand in the alleged attack
YEREVAN (CoinChapter.com) — The Russian Government has accused Ukraine of attempting to assassinate President Vladimir Putin using two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). According to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kyiv attempted but failed to successfully conduct a drone strike on Putin’s Kremlin residence. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called for the “elimination of Zelensky” in response to the attack.
In an official statement, authorities in Moscow called the alleged strikes “a premeditated terrorist attack” and vowed retaliation.
“Two unmanned aerial vehicles were aimed at the Kremlin. We regard these actions as a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the president’s life… The Russian side reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit,”
the Kremlin said in a statement.
The Russian Government also added that the Russian President was not injured in the recent attempts on his life. Moreover, the attack failed to inflict any material damage on the buildings in the Kremlin thanks to the “timely actions taken by the military and special services”.
The incident comes just days before Russia’s Victory Day parade on 9 May. Several foreign dignitaries from friendly countries are expected to attend the event.
Russia has declared that it will not ban the celebrations but issued a new order banning the use of drones in the capital as a safety measure.
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Volodymyr Zelensky denies Ukraine was behind the attack
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was on a one-day official visit in Finland, denied Ukraine was behind the alleged attack.
Claiming that Ukraine continues to defend itself solely on its territory, Zelensky insisted that no attack was planned on conducted on Moscow.
Meanwhile, BBC quoted a Ukrainian presidential adviser claiming Russia could be “preparing a large-scale terrorist provocation” in Ukraine. According to officials in Kyiv, the Kremlin is using a cooked-up story to escalate the situation.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s spokesman Serhiy Nikiforov also claimed that Ukraine has no information “about so-called night attacks” on Kremlin.
“What happened in Moscow is obviously designed to escalate the situation before 9 May,“
Nikiforov said.
Meanwhile, videos widely circulating on social media allegedly show the drones getting destroyed by the Russian defense forces.
Calling the development “predictable”, Zelensky’s advisor adviser Mikhailo Podolyak also denied Kyiv’s involvement. According to him, there is growing discontent in Russia against Putin’s rule and the drones can be attributed to “guerilla activities of local resistance forces”.
“The loss of power control over the country by Putin’s clan is obvious… Something is happening in RF [Russian Federation], but definitely without Ukraine’s drones over the Kremlin,”
he wrote.
Russia threatens to physically eliminate Zelensky
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sent the strongest response to the development. In a chilling post on his Telegram channel, the Putin ally called for Zelensky’s elimination.
“After today’s terrorist attack, there are no options left other than the physical elimination of Zelensky and his clique. He is not even needed to sign the act of unconditional capitulation. Hitler, as you know, did not sign it either.”
Medvedev wrote.
The Russian leader has also served as the country’s Prime Minister under President Putin. Since 2020, he is the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia.
As one of the strongest and most influential people in the Kremlin, Medvedev’s messages often display the attitude of the Russian authorities. His message would have received the approval of Putin.
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