Russia today accused Ukraine of attempting to kill President Vladimir Putin. It claimed it shot down two drones launched by Ukraine. “The Russian side reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit,” it warned.
“Two unmanned vehicles were aimed at the Kremlin… the devices were put out of action,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
Putin was not injured and there was no material damage to the Kremlin building, it said, adding it considered the alleged attack “a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the life of the President of the Russian Federation.”
An unverified video circulating on Russian social media including the channel of the military news outlet Zvezda showed pale smoke rising behind the main Kremlin Palace in the walled citadel after the purported incident. Another showed one of the drones, right above the dome of Putin’s office, being shot down by Russia.
Moscow’s mayor has announced a ban on unauthorised drone flights over the Russian capital, just as the news of drones targeting Putin surfaced.
In a statement, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said drone flights would be prohibited unless a special permit had been obtained from “government authorities”. He added that the ban was meant to prevent unauthorised drone flights that could “obstruct the work of law enforcement”.
