Russia today accused Ukraine of an assassination attempt on President Vladimir Putin and claimed it shot down two drones over the Kremlin. In response, Ukraine said it had no information about any attacks on the Kremlin.
"The Russian side reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit," it warned.
A video circulating on Russian social media today appeared to show a plume of smoke over the Presidential quarters in Moscow's Kremlin.
"Two unmanned vehicles were aimed at the Kremlin… the devices were put out of action," the Kremlin said in a statement.
Putin was not injured and there was no material damage to the Kremlin building, according to official statements. The Russian government has labelled the alleged attack "a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the life of the President of the Russian Federation".
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s press secretary refuted all Russian claims of an assassination attempt.
“We have no information about the so-called night attacks on the Kremlin, but as President Zelensky has repeatedly stated, Ukraine directs all available forces and means to liberate its territories and not to attack others,” the press secretary said in a statement.
The video was posted in the early hours today on a group for residents of a neighbourhood that faces the Kremlin across the Mosvka River and picked up by Russian media
Moscow's mayor has announced a ban on unauthorised drone flights over the Russian capital, just as the news of drones targeting Putin surfaced.
In a statement, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said drone flights would be prohibited unless a special permit had been obtained from "government authorities". He added that the ban was meant to prevent unauthorised drone flights that could "obstruct the work of law enforcement".
In related news, the Kremlin said that the May 9 Victory Day parade would go ahead in Moscow despite the incident, state-run TASS news agency reported.
Victory Day is a key anniversary for Putin to boost patriotic sentiment, as he often evokes the spirit and sacrifice that helped the Soviet Union repel Hitler's Nazis at a cost of some 27 million lives.
Russian energy, logistics and military facilities have been hit in drone and other attacks since Moscow launched what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine. Kyiv has not taken official responsibility for such attacks, but has often made cryptic or sarcastic comments welcoming the attacks.
