Volodymyr Zelenskyy hits again at Vladimir Putin claims – and denies focusing on Russian chief’s house with drone assaults

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Vladimir Putin of needing to “motivate” his folks as he is had “no victories” – after Moscow blamed Kyiv for 2 drone assaults on the Russian chief’s house.

Mr Zelenskyy denied focusing on Mr Putin in a single day after the Russian president threatened to retaliate.

“We don’t attack Putin, or Moscow, we fight on our territory,” Mr Zelenskyy instructed a information convention in Helsinki. “We’re defending our villages and cities.”

But the Kremlin has blamed Ukraine for what it known as a “terrorist act” and mentioned Russian navy and safety forces disabled the drones earlier than they might strike.

No victims or injury had been reported and Mr Putin was not injured, it added.

Ukraine newest – Putin ‘assassination try’ as Kremlin house ‘attacked’

The influential speaker of Russia’s parliament demanded the usage of “weapons capable of stopping and destroying the Kyiv terrorist regime” in response.

In a press release posted on Telegram, Vyacheslav Volodin mentioned Russia mustn’t negotiate with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the purported assault.

“On Wednesday night, the Kyiv regime made an attempt to strike using a UAV the Kremlin residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin,” the Kremlin mentioned in a press release.

“Two unmanned aerial vehicles were aimed at the Kremlin.

“As a results of well timed actions taken by the navy and particular companies with the usage of radar warfare programs, the automobiles had been disabled.”

The Kremlin did not present any evidence to back up its account, including the allegation it was an assassination attempt as Russia prepares to observe its annual Victory Day subsequent Tuesday.

It mentioned Russia reserved the fitting to retaliate – suggesting Moscow would possibly use the alleged assault to additional escalate its battle in Ukraine.

Footage seems to indicate flying object exploding

Clips on Russian social media seem to indicate a flying object exploding over the dome of the Kremlin senate constructing overlooking Red Square.

Another video seems to indicate a plume of smoke rising over the Kremlin following the alleged assault.

Sky News has been unable to independently confirm the footage.

Putin was not in Kremlin

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov instructed Russian state information company RIA Novosti that Mr Putin was not within the Kremlin on the time and was working in Novo-Ogaryovo, outdoors of Moscow.

The Kremlin added that Mr Putin’s schedule was unchanged.

Mr Peskov mentioned Russia’s Victory Day parade would happen as scheduled on 9 May. The main public vacation commemorates the Soviet Victory over Nazi Germany within the Second World War and presents a chance for Mr Putin to rally Russians behind his “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Security is being beefed up in Moscow whereas a number of Russian areas have introduced they’re scaling again their celebrations as a result of fears pro-Ukrainian saboteurs may goal the festivities.

Shortly earlier than information concerning the alleged assault broke, Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin mentioned the town had launched a direct ban on unauthorised drone flights.

Kyiv denies it carried out alleged strike

A senior Ukrainian presidential official mentioned Kyiv had nothing to do with the alleged drone strike.

Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak mentioned the Kremlin’s allegations recommend Russia may very well be getting ready for a large-scale “terrorist” assault towards Ukraine within the coming days.

“Of course, Ukraine has nothing to do with drone attacks on the Kremlin. We do not attack the Kremlin because, first of all, it does not resolve any military problems,” he mentioned.

“And most importantly, it would allow Russia to justify massive strikes on Ukrainian cities, on the civilian population, on infrastructure facilities. Why do we need this?”

He added: “In my opinion, it is absolutely obvious that both ‘reports about an attack on the Kremlin’ and simultaneously
the supposed detention of Ukrainian saboteurs in Crimea… clearly indicate the preparation of a large-scale terrorist provocation by Russia in the coming days.”

Air strike alerts issued in Ukraine

Shortly after the Kremlin’s accusation, Ukraine reported alerts for air strikes over Kyiv and different cities.

Military analyst Sean Bell instructed Sky News that whereas Ukraine has been doing “a lot of activity with drones”, it “does feel odd that Ukraine would be so audacious as to mount something in Moscow”.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken mentioned Washington couldn’t validate reviews Ukraine had focused Mr Putin, including in an interview with the Washington Post that he would take something coming from the Kremlin “with a large shaker of salt”.

Asked if the US would criticise Kyiv if it determined by itself to strike again in Russian territory, Mr Blinken mentioned it was as much as Ukraine to resolve how you can defend itself.

Russian accusations of cross-border assaults

Russia has accused Ukraine of a number of cross-border assaults for the reason that begin of the battle, together with strikes in December on an air base deep inside Russian territory that homes strategic bomber planes geared up to hold nuclear weapons.

In February, a drone crashed in Kolomna, round 70 miles (110km) from the centre of Moscow.