A day after the Kremlin accused Ukraine of using two drones to assassinate President Vladimir V Putin, deep questions still lingered over an episode that is fueling tensions ahead of an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vehemently denied any involvement in an attack on the Kremlin, which would be a brazen attack the fortress-like complex in the heart of the Russian capital. He accused Moscow of orchestrating the blasts to stoke public support ahead of “a large-scale terrorist provocation.”
Here’s what we know so far about the episode and its aftermath.
What happened?
Videos verified by the New York Times showed two explosions 15 minutes apart over the Kremlin just before 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. The explosions appear to have been caused by drones.
An explosion caused a brief fire, although it was unclear whether the drones blew up as planned or were shot down. It was not possible to determine from where they would have been launched.
About 12 hours after the blasts, the Kremlin issued a rare statement saying it had thwarted an “attempt on the life of the President,” who was not in the Kremlin at the time. The Kremlin houses, among other offices, the Russian Senate and an apartment where Mr. Putin occasionally stays.
There were no injuries or serious damage, the Kremlin said.
What are Russia and Ukraine saying?
Both sides have blamed each other for the explosions.
In its unusually lengthy statement on Wednesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it reserves the right to “take retaliatory action where and when it deems appropriate.” The statement contained no evidence of Ukrainian involvement.
Ukrainian government and military intelligence officials, who normally pursue a policy of deliberate ambiguity regarding attacks on Russian territory, have said outright that they played no role in any attack on the Kremlin. You blamed Russia production of the incident to justify increased attacks on Ukraine or to mobilize public support for their war.
Dmitri S. Peskov, Mr Putin’s spokesman, on Thursday claimed without evidence that the United States bears responsibility for “dictating” Ukrainian strikes in Russia. John F. Kirby, a White House spokesman, immediately denied the allegationOf the incident, he says, “Whatever it was, it didn’t involve us.”
Russia’s claims have deserted the US Secret service agents circle around thin facts to determine what happened and why Moscow might be embarrassed by paying so much attention to what is tantamount to another security error amidst his well-publicized military struggles in Ukraine.
“We just don’t know,” Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said Wednesday, adding, “I would take anything that comes out of the Kremlin with a very large salt shaker.”
What could happen next?
The incident could serve as an excuse for Mr Putin to somehow escalate the war, possibly by attacking government buildings in Kiev or trying again to behead the Ukrainian government.
Kremlin officials have repeatedly raised the possibility of using nuclear weapons, and war hawks have pushed for another troop-boosting draft.
On Thursday, Ukraine’s air defenses shot down a volley of Russian drones and missiles that have been fired at Kiev and Odessa in recent days. This was the latest in a series of attacks on cities and towns. In Odessa, the Ukrainian military released images suggesting that some drones were carrying handwritten messages reading “For Moscow” and “For the Kremlin.”
Tensions are particularly high as Kiev prepares a counter-offensive to retake territory in eastern and southern Ukraine that has been seized by Russia. Ukrainian forces prepare tens of thousands of soldiers and escalate attacks on Russian targets. including in occupied Crimea. And on Tuesday Russia will commemorate day of the victoryan important holiday marking the Soviet triumph in World War II.
Despite the brutality of its all-out invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has escalated violence in response to major attacks on Russian-controlled territory. Last fall, after an explosion that damaged a key bridge connecting Russia and Crimea, Moscow launched a campaign of airstrikes on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, cutting off heat and electricity for millions of Ukrainians as temperatures plummeted.
