Kremlin claims it foiled two drones in ‘planned terrorist act’ on Putin’s residence
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Russia has claimed it stopped two drone attacks on Vladimir Putin’s presidential home overnight.
The Kremlin blamed Ukraine for what it called a “terrorist act”.
It said Russian military and security forces disabled the drones before they could strike.
No victims or damage were reported and Mr Putin was not injured, it added.
Ukraine latest – Putin ‘assassination attempt’ as Kremlin home ‘attacked’
“On Wednesday night, the Kyiv regime made an attempt to strike using a UAV the Kremlin residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin,” it said in a statement.
“Two unmanned aerial vehicles were aimed at the Kremlin.
“As a result of timely actions taken by the military and special services with the use of radar warfare systems, the vehicles were disabled.”
It said Russia reserved the right to retaliate – suggesting Moscow might use the alleged attack to further escalate its war in Ukraine.
Footage appears to show flying object exploding
Footage on Russian social media appears to show a flying object exploding over the dome of the Kremlin senate building overlooking Red Square.
Another video appears to show a plume of smoke rising over the Kremlin following the alleged attack.
Sky News has been unable to independently verify the footage.
Putin was not in Kremlin
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that Mr Putin was not in the Kremlin at the time and was working in Novo-Ogaryovo, outside of Moscow.
The Kremlin added that Mr Putin’s schedule was unchanged.
Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the city had introduced an immediate ban on unauthorised drone flights.
Kyiv denies it carried out alleged strike
A senior Ukrainian presidential official said Kyiv had nothing to do with the alleged drone strike.
Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said the Kremlin’s allegations suggest Russia could be preparing for a large-scale “terrorist” attack against Ukraine in the coming days.
“Of course, Ukraine has nothing to do with drone attacks on the Kremlin. We do not attack the Kremlin because, first of all, it does not resolve any military tasks,” he said.
“In my opinion, it is absolutely obvious that both ‘reports about an attack on the Kremlin’ and simultaneously
the supposed detention of Ukrainian saboteurs in Crimea… clearly indicates the preparation of a large-scale terrorist provocation by Russia in the coming days.”
Military analyst Sean Bell told Sky News that while Ukraine has been doing “a lot of activity with drones”, it “does feel odd that Ukraine would be so audacious as to mount something in Moscow”.
Russian accusations of cross-border attacks
Russia has accused Ukraine of several cross-border attacks since the start of the war, including strikes in December on an air base deep inside Russian territory that houses strategic bomber planes equipped to carry nuclear weapons.
In February a drone crashed in Kolomna, around 110km (70 miles) from the centre of Moscow.
