Zelenskyy denies Ukrainian involvement in 'drone assassination attempt' on Vladimir Putin
As Ukraine denies an attack on the Kremlin, and tensions around Russia intensify, Robert Moore has the latest on the drone incident
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied Ukraine's involvement in an alleged plot to use drones to assassinate Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy, on an unannounced visit to Helsinki for talks with the leaders of five Nordic countries, denied any role in the attack.
“We don’t attack Putin or Moscow. We fight on our territory. We’re defending our villages and cities,” he said at a news conference.
Russian authorities accused Ukraine of attempting to attack the Kremlin and assassinate President Vladimir Putin using two drones.
The Kremlin branded it an alleged assassination attempt and a "terrorist act" and said Russian military and security forces disabled the drones before they could strike on Tuesday.
No evidence was presented by Russia to back up the claims, saying it had "absolutely" no involvement.
Ukraine presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak also denied any involvement.
“Ukraine has nothing to do with drone attacks on the Kremlin,” he said.
He said the claims would provide a pretext for Russia “to justify massive strikes on Ukrainian cities, on the civilian population, on infrastructure facilities” in the coming days.
A Kremlin statement, which included few details and was carried by Russian state-run news agencies, said there were no casualties.
Debris from the drones fell on the grounds of the Kremlin, in Russia's capital Moscow, but did not cause any damage, according to the statement.
"We consider these actions as a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the life of the president of Russia, carried out on the eve of the Victory Day, the parade on May 9, where foreign dignitaries are expected," the statement said.
Russia retains the right to respond "when and where it sees fit" it added.
The alleged attack immediately prompted calls in Russia from pro-Kremlin personalities to carry out assassinations on senior leadership in Ukraine.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia's state news agency, RIA Novosti, that Putin was not in the Kremlin at the time and was working from the Novo-Ogaryovo residence.
The Kremlin added that the Russian president was safe and continued to work with his schedule unchanged.
Shortly before the news about the alleged attack broke, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin issued a ban on using drones in the Russian capital, with an exception for drones launched by authorities.
He did not cite a reason for the ban, saying only that it would prevent "illegal use of drones that can hinder the work of law enforcement".