Russia on Thursday accused the United States of ordering an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin the day before it blamed Ukraine, while admitting it was facing an “unprecedented” wave of “sabotage” on its soil.
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On Wednesday, Moscow claimed that it had intercepted two Ukrainian drones targeting the Kremlin, condemning the attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin. Kiev has denied any involvement and Washington has questioned the Russian accusations.
Efforts by Kiev and Washington to deny responsibility (for the alleged attack) are completely absurd. Decisions on such attacks are not taken in Kiev, but in Washington. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Kiev was only doing what was required of it.
“Washington should understand that we know that,” he told reporters.
Mr. Peskov also said that on Thursday Mr. Putin is working inside the Kremlin, where he will have “an important discussion with the Minister of Economic Development.”
Mr. Peskov emphasized that after the alleged drone incursion into the heart of Moscow, the first since the conflict in Ukraine began in February 2022, security measures would be beefed up.
“All of this will, of course, be reinforced, and everything has already been reinforced in the course of preparations for the military parade” on May 9, when Russia celebrates its victory over Nazi Germany with great fanfare, including a parade in Moscow’s Red Square, a Kremlin spokesman said.
He added that “specialists” were “carrying out in-depth analyses” to understand how the alleged drone attack could have occurred.
The Russian capital is 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, and the Kremlin is in a very safe area. Russian accusations about an alleged Ukrainian drone strike have surprised many analysts.
On Wednesday, Kiev denied any involvement in the incident, accusing Russia of “orchestrating” it to justify a possible escalation of the conflict in the future.
The attack, reported by the Kremlin, comes as drone strikes and sabotage bombings have multiplied in recent days on Russian soil.
“Acts of terror and sabotage by the Armed Forces of Ukraine are taking on an unprecedented scale,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
