The Russian government said Wednesday that Ukraine tried to kill President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack that targeted the Kremlin and that Russia has the right to respond “whenever and wherever it sees fit.”
According to the Russian news agency TASS, the Kremlin was targeted early Wednesday morning by two drones that were taken down and destroyed by “electronic warfare systems.” No casualties were reported, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was elsewhere at the time of the attack.
“The Russian president was not harmed as a result of the terrorist attack. His schedule has not changed and continues as usual,” Putin’s press service said.
For their part, Ukrainian officials denied any role in the attack. “I can repeat this message. I think it will be clear to everyone. We don’t attack Putin or Moscow. We fight on our territory, we defend our cities and villages,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said from Helsinki.
Zelensky aide Mykhailo Podolyak also denied Kyiv was responsible. On Twitter, Podolyak said attacking the Kremlin would serve no military purpose and would only give Moscow the pretext to escalate.
But Pentagon documents allegedly leaked by Jack Teixeira show that the US was concerned about Ukraine planning attacks in Moscow and that Zelensky might not have control over his intelligence services.
One leak showed that Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, determined its agents violated orders by attacking a Russian surveillance plane in Belarus. Another leak revealed that Ukraine postponed planned attacks in Moscow that would have coincided with the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
Drone attacks, shelling, and sabotage operations have increased inside Russia in recent weeks. Ukraine does not take responsibility for such incidents, but unlike the drone attack on the Kremlin, Ukrainian officials typically strongly hint Kyiv was involved.
I don’t trust the official accusations or denials by Russia or Ukraine. Cui bono? A drone attack on the Kremlin would be a very stupid move by Ukraine. But not impossible. However it is very unlikely the night time attack, if it occurred, was an attempt to assassinate Putin who does not live in the Kremlin and reportedly is rarely in his office at night.
I can’t rule out that Ukraine might have done the attack. But it could be a Russian false flag to justify an attack on Zelenskyy or an act by pro-Ukrainian Russian partisans who have been active in Russia, Crimea and throughout the occupied territories.
Stupid is as stupid does, and there is a lot of stupid going on now. Can’t rule out anybody.
No way. No one is that stupid.
Never say never.
You must be new here…
Why is that? Would I then believe Ukraine could be that fucking stupid?
says the guy who has made 4 comments total and not all of them here
I won’t give credit to this Russian narration for multiple reasons. But the first and obvious is that if two drones made it that far in, Russian air defense is a disgrace.
But if there is a grain of truth to this narration, US and perhaps UK spooks crossed some major redline.
The obvious response Russia is now expecting is for Zelenskyy to take the Chinese deal. It also gives US a good excuse to bail out of support without looking like a loser.
While I agree on Russian air defense failures, I remember a lumbering commercial airline striking the Pentagon 50 minutes after the World Trade Towers were hit.
Of course, no one took responsibility for the failure and the people that failed were given more power and authority.
They could have allowed it to happen, like how the US allowed 9/11.
It is frightening whatever the case.
Do you remember that West German who flew a Cessnar into red square in the later years of the Soviet Union.
My thoughts exactly, A!
It would indeed be stupid for the Ukrainian forces to try something like this. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t.
If it was a Russian “false flag,” my suspicion would be that it is about manufacturing an excuse for Putin to not appear at public Victory Day events. For which there could be any number of reasons — security concerns, health problems, the likelihood of him being heckled by the crowds, or even him not being in charge anymore.
If it is a Russian false flag I suspect it is a precursor to an attempt to assassinate Zelenskyy. The Z-man is proving to be an inspirational Ukraine First leader with the backbone to stand up to the US and the wisdom to effectively engage China and the tenacity to effectively fight Russia. I understand why some people in the Kremlin might want to remove Zelenskyy from the picture. He would be hard to replace.
Er…Sky…how has ZelBoy “stood up” to Amerikkka besides scolding the Empire for not providing sufficient implements of destruction?
By meeting with Xi. And announcing that Ukraine is “open” to China’s peace proposal .
Zelenski went off script talking to China. It is my opinion that the US orchestrated the attack on the Kremlin. I am waiting for the results of the Russian investigation.
Sky, he’s “open” only to peace talks in which he gets everything he wants, including Crimea.
That is his opening bid. Once negotiations start it is unlikely that Ukraine will get Crimea or that Russia will keep Donbas or any other territory in Ukraine.
China is biding its time to wait until the 2023 military campaigns to play out. In about 6 months I expect China to try to bring Russia and Ukraine into negotiations. China will exert pressure for a peace based on the military situation .
If I had to bet, I’d bet that the Donbas republics will end up either independent or Russian.
Even if truce negotiations come to e.g. a referendum (as opposed to the Russians just declaring “victory” and a unilateral ceasefire once they’ve secured a line of control that encompasses the Donbas region), it’s reasonable to assume that the majority of those who remain in — or are willing to come back to, or who won’t GTFO as soon as it’s safe to — the area after eight years of proxy war plus the full-on version, will prefer independence or Russian annexation to remaining part of Ukraine. The people there who want to be Ukrainians likely have been fleeing westward for years and any who are left will likely do so when they think they can walk or drive in that direction without getting shot, shelled, etc.
Thomas, China understands that this is a war about hearts and minds, not force of arms. The war between the Ukrainian Army and the Russian Army is a “phony war”, a precursor to the war of national resistance that will follow if the Ukrainian army is forced underground. Russia lost when Ukrainians decided they were willing to fight. So even if the Russian military defeats the Ukrainian army and occupies Donbas, the Russians will never pacify Donbas and will eventually have to leave.
The Chinese understand the dynamics at play in asymmetric wars of national resistance. As you have said, Russia’s window of opportunity to win the war closed many months ago. If the Russian troops had been welcomed as liberators in Donbas and Mariupol, then they would have a chance to gain those territories. But as you have pointed out, the Russians failed to secure the regions they claim want to be part of Russia because the people in those regions apparently do not want to become part of Russia. It became clear in the siege of Mariupol that Russia is an invading and occupying force, not a liberating force in Donbas. The Russian tactics are pissing a lot of Ukrainians off – including many ethnic Russians who are becoming Ukrainian patriots, like the Ukrainian Hassidic community who are now learning Ukrainian after centuries of identifying as Russians. Again, the Chinese understand all of this.
Ukraine has a rough road ahead. They will win the war the short way with a decisive military victory over the Russian army this year. Or they may have to win the long way through a protracted guerrilla resistance that could last decades.
It looks more likely that Ukraine will have to fight the long war. The Democrats are likely to lose in 2024 and DeSantis and Trump both want to cut US support for Ukraine. So unless the Ukrainian Army can win a decisive victory in the next few months (unlikely), the Ukrainian resistance will have to carry on the struggle with drastically reduced aid from the US.
As usual,China is biding its time. And China wants to help Russia out. But China understands the resistance of the Ukrainian people and that in the long run, Russia will never be able to pacify any part of Ukraine outside of Crimea.
I was amused when Putin uncharacteristically made a surprise visit to Mariupol literally on the eve of Xi’s visit to Moscow. It was an obvious move to convince Xi that the Russian situation was not hopeless. I think the Chinese saw through that.
The best deal Russia could get if they keep Donbas is to trade places with the Israeli occupation of the West. Bank.
This invasion was a terrible mistake for Putin.
Er…Sky…how has ZelBoy “stood up” to Amerikkka besides scolding the Empire for not providing sufficient implements of destruction?
Inspirational? Maybe to Vogue photographers. I can’t stand the Ahole, myself. But then I’m pretty particular about whom I admire.
He’s as corrupt as the day is long
The Russians have no reason to remove Zelensky. If they did get rid of the clown, chances are that somebody competent takes his place.
Would anyone competent want his place?
Sitting around trying to convincingly yell “Help! Help!” until the Russians get tired of beating their heads against the wall, come up with a fig leaf that lets them declare “victory,” and mostly go away is an entertainer’s job, not rocket science.
“”The Z-man is proving to be an inspirational Ukraine First leader…””
LOL i am this close to replying with the video of Z-man and his boy-boy band dancing in their heels and leathers
How exactly is he “standing up” to the US? Was he oblivious to Austin saying our goal was to waken Russia? Did he not hear the talk about how the West would only arm Ukraine if it didn’t lead to a direct war with the West? If I was a Ukrainian, I’d want him dead more than the Russians do. He’s a sellout of the worst kind.
I’m not nearly as impressed with Zelenskyy as you are. He seems to be trying hard to combine the worst characteristics of Winston Churchill and Vladimir Putin.
But, that said, if it was a Russian false flag, I suppose that its purpose could be to pre-justify an assassination attempt on him.
Sometimes simpler is better. The response voiced by Moscow was to choose the time and means, so if it was a false flag, or just as likely a stunt capitalized on, the Russians have given themselves an open date on when and where to pounce, just as they have in response to the attack on the Crimean bridge. Just something to keep in one’s pocket should a good opportunity arise.
Just for the record, I don’t believe anything reported by the hysterical western “press” regarding civilian Ukrainian casualties – nothing.
I continue to regard Ukraine as a dumping ground for corruption of every description, unchanged from the grand days of Timoschenko et al.
Ah, that sounds like reasonable possibility. I guess we’ll know if he shows.
Do you read what you type? Fascist nonsense. Up is Down Black is White etc etc etc
Zelenski made sure he was out of Ukraine and somewhere safe when the attack went down, so he knew it was going down but that does not necesarily mean he was responsible. The Nazi’s in Ukraine deny the attack. Lets see where the Russian investigation goes before we Russia Russia Russia ad nauseum.
I get you hate Russia and want their destruction. How you are moderating an Antiwar site is beyond me.
Reality check…..
US blew up Nord Stream pipelines, blamed Russia.
US shot down MH17, blamed Russia.
US shelled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, blamed Russia
US shot and murdered police and civilians in the Maidan, blamed Russia.
US overthrew the government in Kiev, blamed Russia.
US murdered dozens of ethnic Russian civilians in Bucha, blamed Russia.
US bio weapons labs in Ukraine, against all conventions, were blamed on Russia.
“I get you hate Russia and want their destruction. How you are moderating an Antiwar site is beyond me.”
Even if he hated Russia, which I don’t think he does, why would that disqualify him from being a mod on an Antiwar site? He shows no favoritism, and he has a right to comment just like you.
Russophobia is the major geopolitical instinct in Anglo-Saxon world. Any anti-Russian lie is accepted without hesitation by the majority.
According to Victoria, there were 6 labs. She was SOOO worried about the Russians latching on to them.
It wasn’t a Russian false flag because the fact that the drone came so close to the Kremlin makes Russian air defenses look bad. Having said that, it’s hard to protect against small drones anybody can order via postal services.
This was a Ukrainian attack. They have been doing these sort of terror attacks in Russia for many months now. The aim is to provoke Russia into an overreaction that’ll draw Nato into the war. That’s the only way for Ukraine to avoid defeat.
Dude, take you Russian wannabe propaganda trash elsewhere.
Edit: I just got a 20 yard penalty for unfairness. Given that, I stand corrected; you are entitled to your opinion like everyone else here.
The commenter you’re responding to has as much right to comment here as you do. Really dumb takes on situations are not violations of this site’s guidelines.
That’s undeniably true and I retract my comment.
Then again, it could be a Ukrainian faction that isn’t as stupid as it would appear. Say, a faction wants to get rid of Zelansky. Provoke Russia into doing the job for them. Then do the crocodile tears thing, beat their breasts and such as fine patriotic nationalists, and prepare to rake in the US taxpayer cash.
Could someone enlighten me of a past Russian false flag, any please? I can’t for the life of me remember even one. Someone with a better memory, please.
There was Nordstream II. But then the regime decided that it was blown up by the gallant crew of the S.S. Minnow on a three hour tour in the Baltic.
The false flags are useful when one needs a pretext to start a war or, maybe, to escalate one. After the collapse of USSR, Russia had three military interventions: in August 2008 in Georgia after Georgian artillery attacked Russian UN peacekeepers (many of them were killed), In Crimea in March 2014 to prevent the massacre of Crimean people by Ukrainian army and Ukrainian neo-Nazi militants, and in Ukraine in February 2022 after Ukrainian artillery started a massive bombardment of Donetsk which caused a humanitarian catastrophe. At least in the eyes of Russian people, all those three military interventions were well justified. By the way, in all those cases, Russia acted within the international law.
Thank you for that history lesson. Fortunately I m well aware, well informed, you could say I m a geopolitics fanatic. I also know what a false flag is, I was just wondering when Russia ever needed one to give itself an excuse to do any intervention. Its not a Russian thing. Also you forgot the Syrian intervention Russia was involved in at the request of the legitimate government of Syria. Cheers
Russia was invited to Syria by Syrian government. It is different.
Ah I see your point
You’re leaving out the two wars to conquer, occupy, and annex Chechnya.
And the invasion of Kazakhstan to prop up the Russian imperial satrap there, the month before the Ukraine invasion.
Chechnya is a part of Russia. Tokayev himself invited CSTO forces to help him to cope with the color revolution. Armenians, Belarus, Kirgiz and Tajiks also came to help.
Yes, Russian imperial satrap Tokayev invited foreign troops to invade and save his regime.
That’s a “military intervention.”
You are misinformed about the situation over there. Tokayev is no greater friend of Russia than Nazarbayev. The difference only that Nazarbayev is more corrupted. The purpose of that color revolution was to create a bloody mess on Russian doorstep. Alma-Ata was invaded by gangsters and Islam radical groups from different regions. They robbed and destroyed everything indiscriminately while the local police was too scared to resist.
That doesn’t change the fact of the military intervention.
It is no more illegal than American military presence in UK.
Who said anything about “illegal?”
The 1999 apartment bombings in Buynaksk, Moscow, and Volgodonsk that were used as a pretext to launch the Second Chechen War.
Ah thanks. I knew one would turn up. However, my view is, unlike most of the Western nations, Russia has not shown an affinity for such methods. Given the dedication & commitment of Western Coin agencies and their satrapies, they wouldn’t even need to. These groups have monopolized the industry of sabotage and conducting terror events.
The US regime is certainly major player in terror, including but not limited to false flag stuff.
It’s far from a monopoly player, though, nor has the Russian regime been a small fish in that sea.
This was an American proxy assassination attempt on the leader of the other great nuclear power. Blinken accepted as much in his TV interview, saying that Ukraine had the right to do it.
There is only one equal and proportionate response, and it is not something in Ukraine. It is a response by that nuclear power to the attack on its leader by doing the same thing back. At Biden.
This is on the edge of a serious spiral, but the US is entirely in the wrong, and Blinken has just doubled down on that.
Why would the US attempt to assassinate someone by sending a drone which is ineffectual for such a purpose to a place where that person almost certainly won’t be, but where that person would be better protected if present than if virtually anywhere else on the planet?
I mean, the US armed forces and “intelligence” community are often stupid, but not that stupid. If they did this, a “proportional response” would be for some Russian general to mount a platform on Red Square and publicly masturbate.
Biden actually said that he would destroy the Nord Stream pipeline and that Putin “cannot remain in power”. That sounds like probable cause to me.
Biden has said that Putin cannot be allowed to stay as the leader of Russia. What he said smacks of regime change talk.
Do you really believe that the people in charge of the Biden Administration will act rationally when it comes to Ukraine and war considering the actions that have been committed up to this point? These people are drunk on power and don’t think like the average Joe the Plumber.
Love to take those aviator sunglasses off of Biden’s head and stomp on them. Where did he get those things, a thrift store?
I’m sure the media will be buzzing about how Russians attacked their own palace just like they said that the Russian bombed their own pipeline. A very dangerous move by whoever perpetrated this, it is basically now declaring that cultural and government sites are no longer off limits…
Have Russian forces ever considered Ukrainian cultural and government sites off limits? Or for that matter political figures? They didn’t seem to have any hesitation about killing Dudayev, Saduleyev, et al. in Russian-occupied Chechnya/Ichkeria.
Have the Russians assassinated any leaders of nuclear states? I don’t recall any. The closest would be John Kennedy, but that was likely the Mob, who have no respect for anybody.
Killing Zelensky would be like killing off somebody put in charge by the local right radicals organizations….. Not the same. I realize there are people who regard Ukraine as a democracy, but what the heck, you just can’t understand some people.
I thought everybody said it was the CIA? I stopped following it.
Allen Stinking Dulles was behind the Kennedy assassination. CIA, Secret Service, Dallas PD were used. Oswald was a patsy, just like he said he was as he shouted that out to reporters.
They’ve left Odessa unscathed and life seems to be relatively tranquil in Kiev. It’s been Zelensky who has gone to war against statues and churches relating to Ukraine’s culture and history.
Hey Mr Z, They are still attacking Odessa, who the f told you otherwise?
“Life seems to be relatively tranquil in Kiev”
Says the guy talking nonsense from Russia.
Life is miserable in Kiev and all throughout Ukraine thanks to douchebag Nazi Putin.
Your Nazi bros are the ones destroying Ukraine culture and people in Odessa.
Kiev would be a smoldering pit if the Russians did to it what the Ukrainian fascists would do to Moscow if it had the chance.
Ukraine is not the other strategic nuclear power.
The Russians say now that the US did it, in a decapitation attempt. That is a strategic nuclear strike move, and risks the worst outcomes having nothing at all to do with Ukraine.
Decapitation attempt with a tiny drone that didn’t even take out the flag?
That’s an embarrassing statement who ever made it.
Kiev didn’t have any hesitation killing several Russian generals, perhaps with American logistics assistance?
True.
Is there some reason that only privates, corporals and sergeants should be targets during a war?
“Russia Says Ukraine Tried to Kill Putin in Drone Attack Moscow says Putin was not at the Kremlin at the time of the attack, Ukraine denies involvement”
The rest of the story is that Voldemort Zelensky ran away to Finland and is going to stay under the protection of NATO countries for the next two weeks.
Perhaps he will never return and like “Charlie on the MTA” he will ride forever on the handouts from America and Europe as the former leader of Ukraine.
That would be one option. Or he’ll choose what’s behind door number 2.
Not that this is direct evidence, but curious indeed. A way to split hairs is for someone other than the official military to try it?
https://thegrayzone.com/2023/05/02/ukrainian-banker-cash-drone-terror-russia/
Ukrainian banker offers cash for drone terror in Russia
ALEXANDER RUBINSTEIN·
Days before a failed drone assassination targeting Putin, Ukrainian banking baron Volodymyr Yatsenko offered a $500,000 bounty to any weapons maker able to land a drone in Red Square during Moscow’s upcoming Victory Day parade.
Russia’s annual Victory Day commemoration marks the anniversary of N@zi Germany’s 1945 surrender to the Soviet Red Army. Each May 9, millions of Russian citizens participate in marches throughout the country to honor their nation’s triumph over fascism. …Concerns that Yatsenko may not adhere to domestic financial regulations within “the most corrupt nation in Europe” were not unwarranted. The banking tycoon established his career working for Privatbank, a Ukrainian financial institution established in the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s 1991 collapse. Ukraine’s post-Maidan government nationalized the bank in 2016, after $5.5 billion mysteriously disappeared from its coffers. An investment banker later accused Yatsenko of orchestrating the withdrawal, telling the US-backed Radio Free Europe outlet he was “very important in matters related to the nationalization of Privatbank, as he headed the direction of corporate lending.” The source, Serhii Fursa, charged Yatsenko with funneling the cash to Privatbank’s owners, namely Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomoisky: the infamous patron of both President Zelensky and the neo-N@zi Azov Battalion.
Makes more sense.
“Ukraine’s post-Maidan government nationalized the bank in 2016, after
$5.5 billion mysteriously disappeared from its coffers. An investment
banker later accused Yatsenko of orchestrating the withdrawal”Oh Victoria! Victoria, dear, do you know where some or all of this money is? Remember when you said, “Yats is our guy”???
It is understood in international diplomacy that an assassination attempt on a country’s leader gives that country the right to assassinate the attackers leaders.
Will Russia now assassinate Biden, Blinken and Nuland? Russia will complete an investigation into who actually was responsible and then act against the culprits. If it turns out that Biden, Blinken and Nuland were responsible they are dead people walking.
We have entered a new era in diplomacy, one where world leaders have a target on their backs. But you know Russia Russia Russia right?
The Russian regime will now do whatever it intended to do anyway, after an “investigation” that concludes whatever it wants concluded.
And, if this particular incident works as an excuse for doing whatever it wanted to do anyway, it will use the excuse, whether it intentionally prefabricated the excuse or not.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/29331b1f989615800baa8fa11429529d702aa62e0be6651503c0ea002e2d6c81.png
I have now read that the recovered parts are allegedly too small to determine any origin of the drones. From what I have learned about plane crashes I disagree. These investigators have done that numerous times. The Russians have them too.
Yes Russia did it. It needed pretext for launching strikes that was set to escalate anyway and love to show how their sacred citadel was breached by Ukrainian.
I want to know if the drone was large enough and powerful enough to have been considered a credible threat on Putin’s life.
Quite big, comparable with the shell of a tank.
In strategic nuclear terms, the Russians are saying this was an attempted “decapitation strike.” That is a common trigger to nuclear war in wargaming scenarios.
Our leaders are blundering on the precipice of killing us all.
They are hiding behind Ukrainian neo-Nazis which they themselves created and brought to power.
I am a defensive driver. I always stay ready to avoid the inattention or worse of other drivers. It happens. Nobody is perfect all the time.
The drivers of US policy in this matter seem to me to be somewhere between inattentive and reckless. The Ukrainians seem to be worse, between reckless and willfully looking for craziness.
Fortunately, the Russians give every sign of being sober and careful defensive drivers in this matter.
However, the Russians were already provoked to war by things these same reckless drivers did in Ukraine.
Now, we can’t just trust that the Russians won’t be provoked this time, that they will make up for our recklessness this time. Recently enough, they did not.
Bad drivers taking us into serious risks is important, even if it does not seem this one time to have the worst crash resulting.
It is not okay to drive drunk, to be a reckless driver, nor to drive like a bad movie about stealing cars. That is the point here, even if we get away with it this time.
The drivers of the policies of declining empires like the US empire and the Russian empire are almost always reckless. They don’t want to accept that empires decline.
If Ukrainian forces did this, they must have had foreign aid for the flight path.
It looks, those drones started from inside Moscow. It is not so difficult to assemble it in any garage.
What they did wasn’t an assassination. It was an attack on the Russian flag and Russian honor… And that was a far worse offense.
The gauntlet has been thrown and satisfaction demanded!
As if Russians would care about a Ukrainian attack on their flag after letting Putin openly sh*t on it.
Russians love their country almost as much as they love their leader.. Too bad about yours.
I don’t have a country or a leader, but nice try.
Yeah I forgot, you live in a God forsaken swamp.
Thomas, if you live in a country, you have a country. ( Agree that we have no leader!)
And this country needs people like you and this website to keep the citizens honestly informed.
People ask me all the time why I don’t just leave. Much as I’d love to live on the Emerald Isle, I prefer to stay here and FIGHT the inept and corrupt government. The Revolution’s coming, and I want to be part of it.
I live in a trailer. And I have a yard.
In my mind and heart I have seceded from the U.S., the land of my birth, but I am too old to start over somewhere else. If I were 30 or 40 years younger and could afford to start over in a new country I would. Russia would be the likely place.
I’m hoping to eventually get out of here myself. My wife would like Ireland while I’d rather go to Dominica, but I think Uruguay is more financially realistic than either.
Ireland is pricey, but worth it if you have the income to reside there.
Hubby wants Mexico, specifically the town of San Miguel de Allende. However he speaks no Spanish and mine’s pretty rudimentary. I don’t believe that one should move to a foreign nation and expects everyone to speak YOUR language.. Luckily Spanish is easy to learn / brush up on; I had three years in HS.
My son checked out Colombia in South America this past January, and he loved it. He has a wealthy friend who has a number of homes around the world, and his favorite place is in Medellin.
Agree, Mary, I have zero loyalty to this country.
But I’d love to help make it a better place for my grandchildren.
I wonder if there’s a book called “How to Start a Revolution for Dummies” 😉
God, Country, Corps.
Biden and Blinken are not on that list.
It seems obvious to me that whoever is responsible for the attack on the Kremlin was/is trying to inflame the war in an attempt to get the US directly involved, it didn’t /won’t work. The problem for Russia is how to respond without blowing the lid off things.