The owner of the Russian Wagner Company claimed that he thought the Ukrainian retaliation had already started, while Moscow accused Kyiv of trying to murder President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine denied culpability for the incident.
The Kremlin said that two drone attacks on the Kremlin Palace in central Moscow had been foiled by the Russian army and intelligence services. The drones had claimed that Kyiv was plotting to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The attack by the Ukrainians, which he described as a terrorist act, did not hurt the president, he said. Moscow declared that it reserves the right to respond to the strike when and where it is most suitable.
Putin was reportedly performing his duties at his home in the Novo-Ogaryovo region close to Moscow during the attack with the two drones, according to the Russian presidency.
The Kremlin has emphasized that Russia reserves the right to respond to any claims that Moscow plans to use its criticism of this attack as justification for escalating its conflict with Ukraine.
The Kremlin said, “We view these actions as a planned terrorist act and an attempt to assassinate the president ahead of the Victory Day celebrations and the May 9 parade, both of which are expected to draw foreign visitors.”
In a statement, he stated that “the Russian side reserves the right to respond with measures at the place and time it deems appropriate.”
According to the statement, the two drones’ parts were spread over the Kremlin complex, but no one was hurt or anything was damaged.
Zaur Shug, the director of Al-Jazeera’s Moscow office, claimed that the attack, which took place with two brief marches, happened close to the Red Square, that there was no damage, and that the key Kremlin buildings were unaffected.
He also mentioned that the Russian Emergencies Ministry has reported the discovery of a third booby-trapped march on the outskirts of Moscow and that efforts were being made to deactivate its explosive device.
The Al-Jazeera office’s director said it was obvious that a sizable operation was aimed at crucial oil and government installations.
In this context, the “Baza” channel on Telegram, which is connected to the Russian security services, produced a video clip depicting a flying object flying towards the dome of one of the iconic Kremlin structures overlooking the Red Square before it detonated.
Moscow’s authorities also declared a ban on drones in their sky, effective immediately, with the exception of drones that are launched in accordance with a directive from Russian authorities.
Reactions in Russia
After the “terrorist” attack on the Kremlin, Dmitry Medvedev, Vice President of the Russian Security Council, declared that the only course of action available was to kill (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky and his cronies physically.
In reaction to a two-pronged assault on the Kremlin, Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of the Russian State Duma, called for the employment of “weapons capable of deterring and destroying the terrorist regime in Kyiv” today.
After the “alleged” attack, for which Kyiv denied responsibility, Volodin added in a statement on the Telegram app that Russia should not negotiate with the Ukrainian president. He noted that negotiations with Zelensky’s regime “are not possible, as it threatens the security of Russia, Europe, and the entire world.”
Although Russia had previously stated that it was willing to engage in negotiations, it was also very clear that it would only do so on its own terms.
The deputy speaker of the State Duma urged that Zelensky be officially labeled a terrorist after describing Zelensky’s actions against President Putin as an attack on Russia.
The attack on the Kremlin, according to State Duma member Sergey Mironov, was a direct cause of the war and the overthrow of the Ukrainian political establishment.
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The military procession continues
The Kremlin stated that the big military parade in Red Square, which is being conducted to commemorate the triumph over Nazi Germany in 1945, had not changed despite the attack.
Dmitry Peskov, the president’s spokesperson, was quoted by Russian news media as stating, “The show will go on; there are no changes to the schedule.”
In light of this, many Russian cities postponed their customary May 9th “Victory Day” celebrations.
Ukraine denies being in charge
Today, the Ukrainian presidency denied any involvement in the two marches that were used to attack the Kremlin and were attributed by Moscow to Kyiv.
According to Zelensky, neither Moscow nor the Russian president was attacked by his nation. He stated at a news conference in Helsinki, “We are fighting on our territory. We are not attacking Putin or Moscow.”
The Ukrainian president’s advisor, Mykhailo Podolyak, responded by telling reporters: “Certainly, Ukraine has nothing to do with the drone attacks on the Kremlin.”
According to Zelensky’s advisor, the emergence of unknown marchers over the Kremlin is evidence of the involvement of local opposition groups.
The strike on the Kremlin, according to a Ukrainian official, “indicates that Moscow is planning a large-scale terrorist attack against us in the coming days.”
The Ukrainian president’s spokesman was also quoted by the American “CNN” as saying that what transpired in Moscow was “a hoax that we expect from our opponents.”
According to the secretary of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, “the attack on the Kremlin was planned by Moscow.”
Simultaneously, a correspondent for Al-Jazeera reported that the Ukrainian capital heard sirens.
The cancellation of the nationwide air alert was also confirmed by the Ukrainian army.
The Russian novel is being verified in America.
The White House stated that it was aware of the rumors about the Kremlin being targeted but “cannot confirm their authenticity,” adding that it is too soon to judge whether Russia will exploit the incident at the Kremlin as an excuse for more provocations in Ukraine.
He claimed that the US did not support Ukrainian strikes outside of its borders.
In response, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he could not confirm Russia’s claim that Ukraine attempted to assassinate Putin in a march attack, but added that he would treat any statements coming from the Kremlin “with suspicion.”
In answer to a query on whether Kyiv would face criticism from Washington if it independently opted to attack Russia in retaliation for Moscow’s attacks, Blinken said that these are decisions that Ukraine must make regarding its defense strategy.
An earlier US official claimed that his nation was attempting to corroborate Moscow’s claim that Ukraine had unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate Putin with a two-pronged assault on his apartment in the Kremlin.
This official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, continued, “We are still attempting to verify the authenticity of this information.”
“We are analyzing intelligence information, satellite imagery, and communications to gather evidence about what happened in Moscow,” US sources were cited as saying by “CNN.”
other Russian attacks
Fears have been raised that the attacks and “vandalism” that have increased in Russia recently would ruin the military celebrations on May 9, which are thought to be vital for the Kremlin given its ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
There have been a number of events in Russia over the past few days, including two goods trains derailing on Monday and Tuesday due to “explosive devices” that were not reported in Russia before the attack on Kyiv on February 24, 2022.
The Russian security services said that an explosive device destroyed a power supply line near the town of South St. Petersburg (northwest) on Monday as well, and they began an investigation into an “act of sabotage.”
Before the FSB stated on Wednesday that it had dismantled a Ukrainian network that had planned to carry out “terrorist and sabotage” activities in Crimea, yesterday’s fire incinerated fuel storage in a Russian village close to the peninsula.
And at the end of last week, a march also targeted an oil depot in Crimea, while a missile strike on a Russian settlement in the Bryansk border region resulted in the deaths of four people.
Furthermore, the Kremlin spokesman stated on Tuesday that “the Kyiv regime, which is behind a number of these attacks and bombings, plans to continue on this path,” and Peskov confirmed that the security services are taking “what is necessary” to protect the populace.
Despite the fact that none of these attacks were claimed by Ukraine, it has confirmed that it has finished making preparations for a counterattack that it has been threatening for several weeks.
