On Wednesday, the Kremlin claimed that it had been hit by a drone attack, while Ukraine has denied any involvement. President Putin’s office has pledged to retaliate against Ukraine following the drone attack. The timing of the attack was tied to the upcoming Victory Day parade, which is a significant holiday in Russia. However, the way that the Kremlin announced the apparent attack raises questions about its authenticity. The Kremlin released footage of the drones on fire, apparently intercepted electronically. However, analysts dispute this claim, as some footage shows an aerial object exploding and shedding debris over the roof of a building. Furthermore, Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, has questioned how a drone that the Kremlin’s defenses were able to detect was first able to penetrate Russian territorial airspace.
Despite the inconsistencies in the Kremlin’s claims, Moscow banned all drone flights in the capital following the announcement. Putin’s office has since stated that events on Victory Day will proceed as planned, although it reserves the right to retaliate against Ukraine when and where it sees fit. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has denied any involvement and has stated that Ukraine is fighting on its territory to defend its villages and cities.