Russia claimed Wednesday that Ukraine tried to assassinate President Vladimir Putin in an overnight drone attack on the Kremlin.
The accusation, made without providing evidence and without immediate reaction from Kyiv, was the latest in a string of reported incidents inside Russia and far from the war’s front lines.
In a statement published on the Kremlin’s website, Putin’s press service said that Russian military and special services disabled two attacking drones that were “aimed at the Kremlin.”
The Kremlin blamed the alleged attack on Ukraine and said that no one, including Putin, was hurt.
“We regard these actions as a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the life of the president, carried out on the eve of Victory Day,” the statement said, referring to the May 9 celebration of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
“The Russian side reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit,” it added.
April 18, 202301:42
There was no immediate reaction from Kyiv to the reports of the thwarted assassination attempt. Russia has frequently accused Ukraine of planning attacks inside the country, often met with denials from Ukraine.
The alleged incident comes 14 months into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ahead of an expected counteroffensive by Kyiv’s military.
The Kremlin said the president’s schedule was unaffected by the incident. Its website said Putin held a meeting with the Nizhny Novgorod region governor Gleb Nikitin Wednesday afternoon.
This is a developing story. Check back here for regular updates.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
