Last update: 04 May 2023, 02:19 HST
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky denied the allegation, saying Ukraine did not attack Putin or Moscow. (File image: Reuters)
The warning comes after Russia claimed it foiled a drone attack by Ukraine on the Kremlin early Wednesday.
After Ukraine’s alleged drone attack on the Kremlin, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev says Moscow has no choice but ‘physical elimination’ of President Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky.
“After today’s terrorist attack, there is no other choice but the physical elimination of Zelensky and his clique,” Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel, according to Tass.
Moscow speaks of “terrorist act”
The warning comes after Russia claimed it foiled a Ukrainian drone attack on the Kremlin early Wednesday, describing it as a failed assassination attempt on President Vladimir Putin and vowing to retaliate. she called it a “terrorist” act.
However, the Ukrainian president denied the allegation, stating that Ukraine did not attack Putin or Moscow.
The alleged attack happened overnight, according to Russian authorities, but there has been no independent verification of the incident and no evidence has been presented to support it.
A video, posted on a local Moscow news channel Telegram overnight, showed smoke rising above buildings across the river from the Kremlin.
Another video circulating on social media showed a drone exploding in a flash above the roof of the Senate Palace in the Kremlin, near a mast displaying the Russian tricolor.
Where was Putin during the attack
Putin was not in the Kremlin at the time but was at his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow, according to Dmitry Peskov, his spokesman, who spoke to the news agency Russian state RIA Novosti.
According to the Kremlin, Russian military and security forces intercepted the drones before they could cause any damage, and no injuries were reported.
The official Kremlin website mentioned that debris from drones fell on Kremlin grounds but did not cause any damage.
What did the United States and the UN say
The United States was “unable to confirm the authenticity” of Russia’s claim, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also questioned the veracity of the report. “I would take anything that comes out of the Kremlin with a really big salt shaker,” Blinken said at an event in Washington.
Deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq said the UN was unable to confirm this information. “We strongly reiterate our call on all parties concerned to refrain from any rhetoric or action that could further escalate the conflict,” Haq said.
The alleged drone attack would be a significant escalation in the 14-month conflict, with Ukraine bringing the war to the heart of Russian power.
(With contributions from the agency)
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