Ukraine has been accused by the Russian authorities of attempting to carry out a terrorist attack on the Kremlin using two drones, allegedly in an effort to assassinate President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin has reported that Russian military and security forces managed to disable the drones before they could strike and that no damage or casualties resulted. However, the alleged attack could mark a significant escalation in the ongoing 14-month conflict between the two nations. An online video reportedly displayed smoke rising over the Kremlin, but the footage has not been independently verified. Although Ukraine denied any involvement in the incident, pro-Kremlin figures have called for retaliatory assassinations on senior Ukrainian leadership. Meanwhile, Russia has reportedly used drones to carry out its third attack on Ukraine’s capital city in six days, with explosions heard in Kiev and beyond. No casualties or damage were reported following the downing of 21 Russian drones by Ukrainian air defence systems. Russia has not yet commented on the cause of a massive blaze that broke out in an oil depot located in the country’s southern Krasnodar region, but some Russian media outlets have speculated that it may have been caused by a Ukrainian drone attack.
