Russia accuses Ukraine of attempted drone attack on Kremlin to kill Vladimir Putin: What we know so far

The Kremlin has, thus far, not produced any evidence to support its claim. An unverified video circulating on Russian social media including the channel of the military news outlet Zvezda showed pale smoke rising behind the main Kremlin Palace in the walled citadel after the purported incident, Reuters reported.

The Russian Ministry of Defense is reporting that 2 Ukrainian Drones attempted to Target the Residence of President Vladimir Putin last night at around 3am in an apparent “Assassination Attempt” with the Drones claiming to have been Shot Down using Electronic Warfare Systems. pic.twitter.com/ERXSoofdgd

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 3, 2023

Iuliia Mendel, a former spokesperson for Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted: “Another threat from the Kremlin. At the beginning of the war, it made several attempts to assassinate Volodymyr Zelenskiy and kept silent about this. How much trust do we have in Russian information about alleged Ukrainian drone attacks on the Kremlin? After years of lies and provocations?”

Ukraine has officially denied any involvement, Reuters reported.

Why would Ukraine attack Kremlin now

“The Kremlin has assessed these actions as a planned terrorist act and an assassination attempt on the president on the eve of Victory Day, the May 9 Parade,” state news outlet RIA reported.

Victory Day marks the Soviet army’s triumph over Nazi Germany in 1945. It is celebrated across Russia, with cities holding parades and other festivities. This year, fearing a Ukrainian attack, celebrations have been cancelled in multiple regions. Some experts have said that Ukraine might begin its counter offensive on May 9, due to the date’s symbolic value to Russians. The reported attack on Kremlin might be a part of the build up.

What will Russia’s response be?

Russia has been strong in its criticism of Ukraine for striking at the heart of Moscow. It has said that it deems the attack “an act of terrorism” and retains the right to respond “when and where it sees fit,” AP reported.

This is a video of the alleged drone attack against the Kremlin 🇷🇺. I have some serious question marks. Is it really realistic – if the drone was from far away – that no air defence could have intervened until right above the Kremlin itself? pic.twitter.com/WYRdaHPf5g

— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) May 3, 2023

Was this drone attack possibly “staged”?

Some commentators have claimed that Russia might itself have staged this attack to create justification for the use of even greater force in Ukraine. A senior Ukrainian presidential official said that an attack on the Kremlin would “change nothing on the battlefield” and would probably “provoke Russia to take ‘more radical” actions.”

Yaroslav Trofimov, Chief Foreign-Affairs Correspondent of The Wall Street Journal, tweeted that the kind of drone used “could only have been launched from within Moscow or its vicinity. Not the kind of drone that can fly all the way from Ukraine”.

The state of the Russia-Ukraine War

After 434 days since the invasion first began, the war drags on, with both sides inflicting pain and casualties but not making significant headway. Currently, Russia holds parts of Eastern Ukraine with fierce fighting under way between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Kyiv is currently preparing for a counteroffensive. Front lines are abuzz with vehicle movement and artillery strikes, with regular explosions hitting vital Russian targets in occupied areas, CNN reported. Moscow, on the other hand, is preparing for Ukraine’s inevitable push, with a vast network of trenches and defensive positions dotting the Russian frontline.

Currently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has travelled to Helsinki for talks with the prime ministers of four Nordic countries as part of his effort to secure greater firepower for his country’s armed forces.