Ukraine has denied that it tried to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin during an overnight drone attack on his official residence in Moscow.
Russia claims it foiled a Ukrainian-backed plot to target Putin — but Kyiv rubbished the Kremlin’s allegations which sparked a storm Wednesday afternoon.
“We don’t attack Putin or Moscow. We fight on our territory. We are defending our villages and cities,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, speaking on a visit to Finland.
In an earlier statement, Russia triggered consternation in Ukraine and among its Western allies by accusing Kyiv of trying to bump off Putin.
“We consider these actions to be a planned terrorist attack and attempt on the life of the President,” the original Kremlin statement said, adding that Putin was “not injured [and] the schedule of his work has not changed.”
“The Russian side reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit,” Putin’s office said, adding that two drones headed toward the Kremlin had been destroyed by the Russian military and special services.
