BOMBSHELL – UKRAINE’S ‘MAJOR COUNTEROFFENSIVE’ TO PLEASE U.S. & NATO HAS BEGUN – AND IN THE MOST COWARDLY WAY – WITH ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON PUTIN – VIDEO FOOTAGE OF 2 DRONES ATTACKING PUTIN’S RESIDENCE GOES VIRAL
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sept. 16, 2022. China said Friday, March 17, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia over the weekend in an apparent show of support for Putin. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
Ukrainian assassination attempt on Putin foiled – Kremlin
Ukraine launched two drone attacks overnight intended to strike the Kremlin residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, his office has reported. The aircraft were downed using electronic warfare measures and caused no casualties or damage, according to a presidential administration statement. Moscow considers the incident an act of terrorism.
The attack occurred late on Tuesday night, and both unmanned aircraft fell on the grounds of the Kremlin in Moscow, according to the president’s office, who also confirmed that the Russian leader’s schedule was not affected.
“We consider this a preplanned terrorist action and an attempt against the Russian president,” it added. The incident happened “ahead of Victory Day and the parade on May 9, when foreign guests plan to be present.”
Russia reserves the right to retaliate in a manner, place and time of its choosing, the statement noted.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that the president was absent from the Kremlin when the drones were downed. He is currently at the presidential residence in Novo-Ogaryovo in Moscow Region, to the west of the capital.
There is footage circulating on social media, which purports to show the aftermath, with a plume of smoke juxtaposed against the night cityscape above the territory of the historic seat of Russian power.
Another short clip appears to show the moment one of the drones exploded over the Kremlin Senate, which hosts the presidential administration and also serves as a working residence of the Russian head of state. It was not clear what caused the blast, though two people can be seen in the video on the dome of the building.
Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow Kremlin caught on camera (VIDEOS)
The video shows plumes of white smoke rising into the night sky over the Grand Kremlin Palace, a 19th century building serving as the official working residence of the Russian president.
No sound can be heard in the video but witnesses claimed on Telegram that they heard at least one loud blast resembling “thunder rumbling.” People on the Kremlin embankment also reportedly saw sparks rising into the sky over the Kremlin wall.
An unverified video circulating on social media also shows a fire on the roof of the Senate Palace, the president’s second working residence in the Kremlin. Flames can be seen rising near the top of the roof.
Another unverified video published on Telegram purported to show the moment one of the drones struck the Senate Palace. The footage shows the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) approaching the building at a low altitude, before blowing up right over its dome. The blast appeared not to have dealt any significant damage to the building, as even the flagstaff with the presidential banner remained in place after the attack.
Russia’s regional channel TVC published another video, thought to be of the attack, showing a UAV flying over Red Square before blowing up over the Senate Palace. The channel also claimed that the two apparent attacks had occurred within 15 minutes of each other. The first drone struck the Senate Palace around 02:27 Moscow time, while the second one fell on the grounds of the Kremlin around 02:43am on Wednesday, the channel said, citing the videos it had obtained.
Earlier on Wednesday the Russian presidential office reported the attack, calling it a “planned terrorist act” targeting Putin’s residence. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified that the president was elsewhere at the time and his schedule is unaffected.
The Moscow city authorities have banned the unauthorized use of drones in the Russian capital, explaining that such actions could hamper the work of the law enforcement. Russia also said it reserves the right to retaliate to that attack “anywhere and anytime it deems necessary.”
Kiev has denied responsibility for the strike. Ukraine “does not have any information about the so-called night attacks on the Kremlin,” President Vladimir Zelensky’s spokesman, Sergey Nikiforov, told journalists.
In late March, however, the head of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, Aleksey Danilov, claimed on Twitter that Ukraine possesses “dozens of models” and “thousands of UAVs,” including those with a range of “more than 3,000 kilometers.” RT
Ukrainian counteroffensive has started – Wagner boss
Wagner forces advanced more than 200 meters on Wednesday, sustaining 116 fatalities and leaving less than three square kilometers of the Donbass city in Ukrainian possession, Prigozhin said in an audio clip shared online.
However the PMCs leader then announced that the Ukrainian military has “…begun its counterattack,” with “…unlimited manpower and ammunition.”
Meanwhile, he painted a dire picture of Wagner’s own situation, saying “ammunition shortages are acute” and his troops have enough rounds remaining “for just a few days.”
The Russian Defense Ministry is refusing to issue artillery ammunition to Wagner, “ignoring our every request,” Prigozhin claimed.
Wagner forces have been at the forefront of street fighting in Artyomovsk, known by Ukrainians as Bakhmut, a key rail and road junction in Donbass. Kiev has funneled tens of thousands of soldiers to the city, even as Wagner and other Russian troops established fire control over all the supply roads, leaving the Ukrainians half surrounded. RT
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