The US government has refuted Russian claims that it orchestrated a drone strike on the Kremlin aimed at assassinating Vladimir Putin.
After initially accusing Ukraine of the supposed attack, the Russian President’s spokesperson insinuated that the US had provided support. However, the US National Security spokesperson described these allegations as “baseless.” Putin was not in the building during the purported assault, and Ukraine has also denied involvement.
Although Russian attacks persist, there is no sign of escalation from Moscow. A drone was shot down on Sunday evening near the Ukrainian President’s office in Kyiv.
The supposed Kremlin attack occurred early Wednesday morning, with social media footage displaying smoke billowing from the premises. The Kremlin reported a minor explosion above the Senate building and two individuals scaling the dome. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, accused the US of being “unequivocally” involved in the attack on Thursday without offering any proof.
In response, US official John Kirby denied any participation, stating that the US had no involvement in the incident and did not encourage or enable Ukraine to initiate an attack beyond its borders.
Ukraine claims the alleged attack was a Russian-staged event. However, critics argue that Russia would not execute an attack that could expose the Kremlin’s vulnerability. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, requesting the formation of a special tribunal to hold Russia responsible for its “aggressive crimes.”
Zelensky accused Putin of committing “criminal acts in the heart of international law” and pointed to Russia’s purported war crimes, including the numerous strikes in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region and casualties during the occupation of Bucharest.
The ICC seeks Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, including the illegal deportation of Ukrainian minors to Russia. However, the court lacks the jurisdiction to prosecute aggression.
