Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied that his country was involved in an alleged late Wednesday night drone strike on the Kremlin, which Russia claims was an assassination attempt on President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky, who was visiting Finland on Wednesday, explicitly denied involvement in the alleged incident, stating, “We don’t attack Putin or Moscow. We fight on our territory. We’re defending our villages and cities.”
Overview
The Ukrainian President said that due to a shortage of weaponry, the Ukrainian army only uses weapons on the battlefield to secure its defence, adding that “we cannot use anything anywhere. That is why we did not attack Putin. We will leave it to the tribunal.”
Zelensky believes the Russian leader is blaming Ukraine for the alleged attack and attempted assassination since Russia has had no combat successes in the war it has launched in Ukraine. As a result, this false flag may be used to legitimise Russia’s continuous aggression.
At the same time, Zelensky stated that rather than fabricating fresh provocations, Russian authorities could remove their troops from Ukrainian territory, resolving the challenging situation.
‘We Didn’t Attack Putin’: Zelensky Denies Ukraine Behind Alleged Drone Strike on the Kremlin https://t.co/iYWd1L9lMC
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) May 3, 2023
Ukrainian presidential spokesman Serhii Nykyforov told CNN that, as “President Zelensky has stated numerous times before, Ukraine uses all means at its disposal to free its own territory, not to attack others.”
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak also denied any involvement on Kyiv’s part and asserted that it was illogical for Ukraine to have carried out the alleged strike. He also claimed that Moscow’s assertions aimed to shape the narrative ahead of a much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive.
“Russian statements on such staged operations need to be taken as an attempt to create pretext for a large-scale terrorist attack in Ukraine,” Podolyak added.
Drone Attack on Kremlin
Unverified online footage showed an unmanned aircraft vehicle flying towards the Kremlin. The object, however, explodes before crashing, after possibly being shot down by Russian defences. The Kremlin provided no evidence of the alleged attack and very few specifics in its statement.
In response to Kyiv’s alleged drone strike on the Kremlin, the Russian Presidential Press Service reported on Wednesday that Putin was unharmed. The press service stated that two unmanned aerial vehicles allegedly attempted to strike the residence of the Russian President, although Putin was not there at the time of the purported attack.
There were neither deaths nor material damages due to the downed drones’ fall and the dispersal of debris. Press service also warned that Russia could retaliate “wherever and whenever it deems appropriate.”
Moscow regards the incident as “a planned terrorist act and an assassination attempt on the president.”
BREAKING NEWS: Russia claims Putin targeted in drone assassination attempt, as videos circulate online https://t.co/mGHoyXEYPL
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 3, 2023
Russia’s Response
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who spoke to the state news agency RIA Novosti, said Putin was working out of a presidential house close to Moscow at the time of the alleged attack. The Kremlin stated that Putin’s schedule remains unaffected.
According to the source, Peskov noted that preparations to stage the Victory Day parade in Red Square remain in place. The string of reported drone strikes and sabotage incidents inside Russia is ahead of Victory Day on 9 May, when Russia celebrates the Soviet victory in World War II with a massive military parade.
Later, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, one of the war’s most prominent supporters, told RIA Novosti that Russia has “no options left except for the physical elimination of Zelensky and his cabal.”
In a message posted on his Telegram channel, Russian Parliament Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin accused Zelensky of “giving orders to carry out terrorist attacks.”