Russia on Thursday accused the United States, without evidence, of being behind an attempted attack on the Kremlin that aimed to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin.
What You Need To Know
- Russia on Thursday accused the United States, without evidence, of being behind an attempted attack on the Kremlin that aimed to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin
- Moscow initially blamed Ukraine but shifted its focus to the U.S. a day later, with a Kremlin spokesman saying, “We are well aware that decisions on such a level of terrorist attacks are made not in Kyiv, but in Washington”
- John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, denied the U.S. played any role
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has, too, denied his country had any involvement
Moscow said Wednesday it “disabled” two drones before they could strike the Kremlin. Moscow initially blamed Ukraine but shifted its focus to the U.S. a day later.
“We are well aware that decisions on such a level of terrorist attacks are made not in Kyiv, but in Washington,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday. “Kyiv only does what it is told to do.”
Peskov cited no evidence to support the claim.
John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, denied the U.S. played any role.
“I can assure you there was no involvement by the United States,” he told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Thursday. “Whatever it was didn’t involve us. We had nothing to do with this, so Peskov is just lying there, pure and simple.”
Kirby also said Washington did not “encourage or enable” Ukraine to launch such an attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has, too, denied his country had any involvement.
“We are not attacking Putin or Moscow,” he said during a news conference Wednesday in Finland.
“We are fighting on our own territory, defending our villages and cities,” he added. “We do not have enough weapons even for this,” he added.
Peskov called the denials from the U.S. and Ukraine “absolutely ridiculous.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday the U.S. was “unable to confirm the authenticity” of Russia’s claims of a Ukrainian attack on Moscow. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a Washington Post Live event, “I would take anything coming out of the Kremlin with a very large shaker of salt.”
Blinken has previously warned of Russia staging “false flag operations” to justify attacks on Ukraine.
The Kremlin said in a statement Wednesday it retains the right to respond “when and where it sees fit.” And Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and current deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council, has said Moscow should “physically eliminate” Zelenskyy.
A video published on a local Moscow news Telegram channel, which appeared to have been shot across the river from the Kremlin, showed what looked like smoke rising over the Kremlin.
According to the text accompanying the video, residents of a nearby apartment building reported hearing bangs and seeing smoke at around 2:30 a.m. local time. It was impossible to independently verify the posted footage.
Putin was not in the Kremlin at the time that Russia said the drone attack was foiled, Peskov said.
Nobody was hurt, the Kremlin added. Its official website said debris from the drones fell on the Kremlin grounds without damage.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
