Kremlin drone attack: Russia accuses Ukraine of trying to assassinate Vladimir Putin in strike on residence

Russia has accused Ukraine of attempting to assassinate Vladimir Putin in a drone attack on the Kremlin. Ukraine said it had nothing to do with the drone strike after the Kremlin claimed two Ukrainian devices were downed by Russian defences on Tuesday night.

The state run RIA news agency has reported that the Kremlin is considering “the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit." Neither the Russian President nor his schedule was affected by the attack, the Kremlin said, with Mr Putin’s spokesperson saying the president was not in the residence at the time.

In the aftermath of the attack, the Mayor of Moscow has issued a ban on all drones over the city to "prevent an illegal use of unmanned aircraft that could hamper the work of law enforcement agencies". 

The incident occurred in the run up to Russia’s Victory Day parade, which is set to take place in the capital on May 9. The historic tradition is hosted on Red Square and marks the day the Soviet army claimed victory over the Nazis in WWII. 

Speaking about the Victory Day parade, a Kremlin spokesman has informed Russian news agency TASS that there are no ‘changes to the plans’ and the ‘parade will take place’. 

The BBC have reported President Volodymyr Zelensky's spokesman saying Ukraine was focusing on liberating its own territory after Russia invaded last year. Another official told the BBC the reported incident could be a sign Russia is "preparing a large-scale terrorist provocation" in Ukraine.