Putin May Have Been the Target In Attempted Ukrainian Drone Strike – In a stunning incident that could escalate the war, Russia said that Ukrainian forces launched two drones that flew to Moscow and targeted the Kremlin in an apparent assassination attempt on Vladimir Putin. The incident happened overnight on May 3.
The Kremlin’s home page revealed that the Russian military had eliminated the drones before they reached their target. Russia offered no photos or videos as evidence of the attack. However, BCC reported “unverified footage on social media appeared to show an object flying over the Kremlin before a small explosion.”
There were no injuries or structure damage reported, the Kremlin said. Debris from the drones drifted downward from the skies over downtown Moscow. The Kremlin claimed the drones were taken out of service via “electronic radar assets.”
Russia Said ‘This Is Terrorism’
“We regard these actions as a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the life of the president, carried out on the eve of Victory Day,” the announcement from the Kremlin said.
Victory Day is the commemoration of the Soviet Union’s win against Germany in World War Two. Victory Day celebrations have already been scaled back across the country due to the threat of attacks by Ukraine.
Putin was reportedly not at the Kremlin at the time and working from home, state-run media site RIA Novosti wrote.
Moscow promised that it would take retaliatory measures “when it sees fit.”
Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, placed “three fire emojis” on his Telegram channel but then deleted the post.
It is not clear if he was referring to the attack. Reuters reported that someone at the president’s office denied the drone strike, but this person offered no other details.
More Attacks Inside Russian Borders
Zelenskyy has often explained that his forces have only fought in Ukraine and has denied attacks against Moscow even though the BBC reported that there have been other strikes and explosions inside Russia at the hands of Ukraine in recent weeks.
This is a significant development in the war. The Kremlin has no clear succession plan should Putin be killed, wounded, or incapacitated.
Kyiv would like nothing better than to eliminate him in a targeted assassination that would place significant pressure on Russia’s military without its supreme leader who is calling most of the shots in Ukraine.
Russia will likely conduct more strikes in retaliation on Kyiv even though the city is well-protected with missile defense batteries including U.S.-donated Patriot anti-air systems that have been effective at defending the capital from Russian missiles.
Ukraine Throws Caution to the Wind
Even though the attack against the Kremlin was not successful, it shows that Ukraine has the reach and ability necessary to make long-range strikes against Russia. This has likely given the defending forces a public relations and morale boost as the war has primarily entered a stalemate focused on fighting in Donetsk in the Donbas region, particularly around the town of Bakhmut that has become a war of attrition for both sides.
The armies cannot break through each other’s defenses, so why not take a hail-mary pass against Moscow?
Ukraine has nothing to lose by conducting such an attack and they could get lucky by targeting Putin and taking him out of action in the future.
Russia must feel intense frustration at the situation in Ukraine. Zelenskyy’s forces are showing that they will not back down and such a brazen attempt at Putin’s life may make the Russians take pause while contemplating their current strategy, operations, and tactics against Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy will likely be pleased that even though the attack was not successful, it signifies that Putin is within reach.
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Author Expertise and Experience:
Serving as 19FortyFive’s Defense and National Security Editor, Dr. Brent M. Eastwood is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer. You can follow him on Twitter @BMEastwood. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and Foreign Policy/ International Relations.
