Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy has denied allegations by Russia that his country carried out an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin, saying it was an attempt on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s life. Speaking during his visit to Finland, Zelenskyy said, “We don't attack Putin or Moscow. We fight on our territory. We are defending our villages and cities."
Two drones were downed by Ukraine in the alleged attack, reported Guardian quoting Russian state news agency RIA.
As per the report, both the drones had been disabled by Russian defence officers. Moreover, Putin emerged unharmed in the attack nor did buildings in the Kremlin suffer any damage, the report stated.
“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,” the RIA was quoted by The guardian. “The Russian side reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit,” the report read.
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Reacting to the allegations, Ukraine issued a statement, saying: "Russia is preparing for a large-scale terrorist attack. Ukraine wages an exclusively defensive war and does not attack targets on the territory of the Russian Federation."
The claim by Russia of the assassination attempt came a week after it made a similar allegation on Putin’s life. The C-4 explosive-laden UJ-22 drone crashed before causing any damage. The drone was allegedly targeting the Rudnevo Industrial Park, which Putin was expected to visit.
In 2022, Ukraine had claimed several attempts on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's life since the Russian invasion began on February 24. Kyiv had then said that it was preparing for operations after Zelenskyy's death as a threat loomed over his life. According to Ukraine, within just a month of the invasion four attempts were made to assassinate President Zelenskyy.