Ukrainian UAV attacks oil depot after foiled assassination attempt on President Putin: Russia
May 03, 2023
Moscow [Russia], May 3 : After two drone attacks on the Kremlin residence of President Vladimir Putin, Russia has claimed two more attacks including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) striking the Senate Palace and drone attack on the Russian oil depot in Krasnodar, Russia Today reported.
Russia has released new footage showing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) striking the Russian Oil Depot and the Senate Palace as well, Russia Today Twitter reported
According to the Russian news agency, attacks were reported moments after two UAVs attacked Putin's Kremlin residence.
A message by Russia's Presidential press service read, "Last night, the Kyiv regime attempted a drone strike against the residence of the President of the Russian Federation at the Kremlin."
"Two unmanned aerial vehicles targeted the Kremlin. Timely action by the military and special services involving radar systems enabled them to disable the devices. They crashed in the Kremlin grounds, scattering fragments without causing any casualties or damage," the message added.
"We consider these actions a premeditated terrorist attack and an assassination attempt targeting the President, carried out ahead of Victory Day and the May 9 Parade, where foreign guests are expected to be present, among others," it said.
The message also informed that the President was not injured in the attack and that Russia has the right to take countermeasures wherever and whenever it deems appropriate.
Meanwhile, Ukraine on the other hand said although something happened in Russian Federation, however, it had nothing to do with it.
Advisor to the Head of the Office of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mykhailo Podolyak, in a tweet, has said that the drone attacks on the Kremlin were not from Ukraine.
Mykhailo Podolyak, in a tweet, said, "As for the drones over the Kremlin, it's all predictable....Russia is clearly preparing a large-scale terrorist attack. That's why it first detains a large allegedly subversive group in Crimea. And then it demonstrates "drones over the Kremlin". First of all, Ukraine wages an exclusively defensive war and does not attack targets on the territory of the Russian Federation. What for? This does not solve any military issue. But it gives RF grounds to justify its attacks on civilians..."
Podolak also noted that Ukraine was monitoring the mishaps and incidents that were taking place in different parts of the Russian Federation and also clarified that even though something was happening in RF but the drones did not belong to Ukraine.
He also tweeted, "Secondly, we are watching with interest the growing number of mishaps and incidents that are taking place in different parts of RF. The emergence of unidentified unmanned aerial vehicles at energy facilities or on the Kremlin's territory can only indicate the guerilla activities of local resistance forces. As you know, drones can be bought at any military store... The loss of power control over the country by Putin's clan is obvious. But on the other hand, Russia has repeatedly talked about its total control over the air. In a word, something is happening in RF, but definitely without Ukraine's drones over the Kremlin..."
On social media, several viral videos purportedly show a plummet of smoke rising against the night cityscape from the territory of the former Russian capital on Wednesday.
The Kremlin press service also said, "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."
According to Putin's staff, Ukraine launched two drone attacks overnight with the intention of hitting his apartment in the Kremlin.
"The head of State was not in the Kremlin at the time of 'Ukrainian UAV attack' on Tuesday night," Kremlin's Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
He also said that President Putin is currently working from his residence near Moscow and that his schedule remains unchanged.
The drones were destroyed using electronic warfare measures and caused no casualties or damage, the press service added.