It is unlikely that two drones managed to get through Russia’s air defenses, writes the Institute for the Study of War in an analysis. It is likely that the Russians staged the “assassination attempt on Putin” themselves.
“If the drone attack was not internally caused, it would have been a surprise,” writes ISW.
The Russian news agency Ria Novosti reported on Wednesday that there has been an assassination attempt against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Two drones moved toward the Kremlin overnight Wednesday, according to the Russian presidential administration.
An unverified video of a small aircraft flying towards the roof of Putin’s presidential residence in the Kremlin in Moscow was circulated on social media – the aircraft exploded.
The administration announced that it was “a planned terrorist attack and an assassination attempt on the President of the Russian Federation”.
Russia prevented the attack on the president’s residence, writes Ria Novosti.
“Two drones were heading towards the Kremlin. Thanks to the efforts of the military and security services using military radar combat systems, the drones were neutralized,” the press release from the presidential administration said.
“Didn’t attack Putin”
The news came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a press conference in Helsinki.
Zelenskyy himself commented on the incident and denied Kiev’s involvement in the alleged attack.
We did not attack Putin or Moscow, said President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a press conference in connection with the incident, writes CNN.
The American think tank ISW has now published an analysis in which it is stated that the alleged attack may have been staged to win internal opinion.
There are several factors that indicate that the attack was planned in advance, writes ISW.
Among other things, Russian authorities have recently taken measures to strengthen the Russian domestic air defense capacity – including within Moscow.
“It is therefore extremely unlikely that two drones would penetrate several layers of air defense and detonate and be shot down right over the heart of the Kremlin in such a way as to lead to spectacular images captured on camera,” ISW writes in the analysis.
ISW:
Russia accused Ukraine of conducting a drone strike against the Kremlin on May 3. Social media footage circulated on May 3 shows a drone detonating near a flagpole on top of the Kremlin Senate Palace building in Moscow as two unidentified people climbed up the dome of the building. The Kremlin accused Ukraine of orchestrating “a planned terrorist attack” with the intent of assassinating Russian President Vladimir Putin and clarified that Putin was not at the Kremlin at the time of the attack and was therefore unharmed. Ukrainian officials, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stressed that Ukraine did not conduct the attack.
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