"Putin Not Injured"... Victory Day Event Proceeding
Ukraine Strongly Denies "We Only Fight on Our Land"
The Russian government announced that the Kremlin was attacked by Ukrainian drones but there were no damages from the attack, drawing significant attention as it warned of a large-scale retaliatory strike. While the Ukrainian government denies any involvement in the attack, predictions are emerging that both forces will soon launch a major spring offensive.
On the 3rd (local time), according to Russia's TASS news agency, the Kremlin stated in a press release, "Last night, Ukraine attempted an attack on the Kremlin presidential residence using drones," adding, "Two drones targeted the Kremlin, but the military neutralized them by properly utilizing electronic warfare systems." It further explained, "President Putin was not injured in the attack, and there was no damage to the building from shrapnel or other debris."
The Kremlin said, "We consider this a planned terrorist act aimed at the life of the Russian president," and strongly warned, "Russia reserves the right to retaliate at an appropriate time and place." It also emphasized that the Victory Day event scheduled for the 9th will proceed as planned.
Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, stated, "President Putin was not at the Kremlin during the incident and has continued his scheduled activities without changes, working as usual."
Within Russian political circles, voices demanding a large-scale retaliation are growing, attributing the attack to Ukraine. Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the Russian State Duma, posted on his Telegram account, "No negotiations are possible with the Zelensky regime," and demanded, "Weapons capable of stopping and destroying the Ukrainian terrorist regime must be used."
The Ukrainian government strongly denied any connection to the attack. During a press conference while visiting Finland, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized, "Ukraine did not attack Putin or Moscow. We fight on our own land." There are also suspicions both inside and outside Ukraine that Russia fabricated the incident to justify launching a major offensive.
Earlier that day, a fire broke out at an oil facility in the Temryuk area of the Taman Peninsula in Krasnodar Krai, southwestern Russia. Russian authorities suggested that a drone attack was the likely cause of the incident. Recently, ahead of Ukraine’s counteroffensive operations, explosions and attacks on various infrastructure facilities such as energy and railways have continued. There are forecasts that both sides will shift back to a large-scale offensive around Russia’s Victory Day on May 9.
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