After two drones crashed into the Kremlin early on Wednesday, Russia escalated its rhetoric, baselessly accusing the U.S. of orchestrating the alleged attack.
Moscow originally blamed Ukraine for what it is calling an act of terrorism and an attempt to assassinate Russian president Vladimir Putin. But on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov argued the United States was “undoubtedly” behind it.
“We know very well that decisions on such actions and such terrorist attacks are made not in Kyiv, but in Washington,” Peskov said, according to Reuters.
Peskov alleged Ukraine’s military objectives “are not determined by Kyiv, but they are determined in Washington, and then these goals are brought to Kyiv so that Kyiv fulfills them.”
“In Washington they must clearly understand that we know this,” he added.
Both Ukraine and the U.S. have denied involvement in the alleged drone attack. “It’s all really simple — Russia has no victories,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “[Putin] can’t further motivate his society, he can’t send his soldiers into death anymore, and he can’t motivate his country anymore…now he needs to find any possibility to motivate them.”
“Mr. Peskov is lying. It’s obviously a ludicrous claim. The U.S. had nothing to do with this,” explained National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Thursday’s CNN This Morning, adding that the Biden administration is still trying to confirm what happened.
The U.S. has repeatedly denied claims it is intent on inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia, explaining it is simply providing weapons to a Ukraine defending itself from Russia. “Mr. Putin is the aggressor here. His forces are in Ukraine illegally and in an unprovoked way,” Kirby said.
The idea that Putin was a target of the attack is also far-fetched as it has been widely publicized that when Putin stays in Moscow, he stays in a bunker in Novo-Ogaryovo.
Kirby once again clarified the administration doesn’t know what happened here, but asserted the U.S. does not endorse, encourage, or support attacks on individual leaders.
The incident took place less than a week before Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9. The event is intended to celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, but is widely expected to be used by Putin to rally Russians behind the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia unleashed a wave of drone attacks on Ukraine in response to the alleged drone attack. Kyiv, the capital, was targeted and so was the southern city of Kherson, liberated in November of last year. Officials said Russian shelling killed 23 civilians and wounded dozens more, hitting homes, a supermarket, and a train crossing.
Asked if Putin is using the alleged drone attack as a pretext for further strikes against Ukrainian civilians, Kirby said: “Back up even longer than 48 hours ago. Over the course of the weekend Mr. Putin was flying cruise missiles and drones hitting civilian infrastructure and targets throughout Ukraine. It’s not like he’s looking for an excuse to kill innocent Ukrainians.”