Kremlin accuses Ukraine of attempting to assassinate President Putin

Ukraine on Wednesday was accused trying to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin as it launched a foiled drone strike on the Kremlin, the state-run RIA news agency reported on Wednesday.

“Two unmanned aerial vehicles were aimed at the Kremlin. As a result of timely actions taken by the military and special services using radar warfare systems, the devices were disabled,” it added.

“As a result of this terrorist act, the President of the Russian Federation was not injured. His work schedule has not changed, it continues as usual,” Putin’s press secretary said in a statement.

Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told RIA that Putin was not in the Kremlin at the time of the attack by Ukrainian drones. “Today he is working in his residence near Moscow in Novo-Ogaryovo. Plans to hold a parade on Red Square on May 9 remain in place,” the Kremlin spokesperson added.

Moscow regarded Kyiv's actions as a planned terrorist act and an assassination attempt on the president on the eve of Victory Day and the May 9 parade.

The Russian side reserves the right to respond to this attack where and when it sees fit, the RIA added.

The Kremlin did not present any evidence from the reported incident, and its statement included few details.

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, according to Al Jazeera.

The video was posted in the early hours of Wednesday on a group for residents of a neighbourhood that faces the Kremlin across the Mosvka River and picked up by Russian media, including the Telegram channel of the military news outlet Zvezda.