2023-05-04 14:40:00
Russia said on Thursday that the United States is behind what it says is a Drone attack on the Kremlin, aiming to kill Russian President Vladimir Putinwhile the Moscow forces fired more combat drones over Ukrainian citiesincluding the capital, Kiev.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov, without providing evidence, said Ukraine had acted on US orders in the alleged drone attack on the Kremlin citadel in the early hours of Wednesday.
Kiev has denied involvement in the incident., which followed a series of explosions last week targeting freight trains and oil depots in western Russia and Russian-controlled Crimea. Moscow also blamed Ukraine for these attacks.
“Attempts to deny this (attack on the Kremlin), both in Kiev and in Washington, are, of course, absolutely ridiculous. We know very well that decisions on such actions, on these terrorist attacks, are not taken in Kiev, but in Washington,” Peskov told reporters.
The Kremlin said it reserves the right to retaliate. Peskov said on Thursday that an urgent investigation was under way and that any response would be carefully considered and balanced.
Separately, Russia’s foreign ministry said the alleged drone attack “should not go unanswered” and showed Kiev was unwilling to end the 15-month war at the negotiating table.
KIEV AND ODESSA AS A TARGET
Earlier, Russia fired two dozen combat drones at Ukraine. They hit Kiev for the third time in four days, and also a university campus in the Black Sea city of Odessa, before a major counter-offensive from Ukraine to reclaim occupied land.
There were no reports of casualties.
The Kiev city administration said Russia likely fired ballistic missiles as well as drones, but all were shot down.
Ballistic missiles are difficult to shoot down, and their shooting down could indicate that Ukraine used sophisticated air defense systems provided by the West.
In total, air defenses shot down 18 of the 24 “kamikaze” drones in the pre-dawn attack, officials said. Of 15 drones fired at Odessa, 12 were shot down, but three hit a university campus, according to the southern military command.
Copyright © Thomson Reuters.
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