On the night of May 3rd, 2023, two drones were detected and disabled by electronic radar assets while targeting the Kremlin, the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. While unverified footage on social media appeared to show an object flying over the Kremlin before a small explosion, the Russian president was not in the complex then.

The Russian presidency has issued a statement condemning the incident as a "planned terrorist act and an assassination attempt on the president," and accused Ukraine of being behind the attack. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied his country's involvement, stating that Ukraine is focused on defending its territory and not attacking Moscow or Putin.

The incident has raised concerns that Russia may be preparing a large-scale terrorist provocation in Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian presidential adviser. The two countries have been trading accusations and denials since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Despite having high levels of personal protection, it is astonishing to think that drones could have approached the Kremlin undetected. The Russian leader was unharmed, and his schedule would continue as normal, his office said. Fragments of the drones had fallen on the Kremlin site, but no one was hurt, and no buildings were damaged.

The incident occurred shortly before Russia's 9 May Victory Day parade, which foreign dignitaries were expected to attend. The Russian presidency has warned that it reserves the right to take retaliatory measures wherever and whenever deemed necessary.


Russian news agencies have reported that the planned Victory Day parade in Moscow will proceed as scheduled, despite an incident involving a drone near the Kremlin on Tuesday. The Kremlin has not commented on the drone incident directly but has condemned what it describes as "provocative actions" by Ukraine ahead of Victory Day.

Ukrainian officials, including presidential spokesman Serhiy Nikiforov and adviser Mikhailo Podolyak, have expressed concern that the drone incident could be used by Russia to justify attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine. Podolyak has also suggested that the incident may indicate the presence of "guerrilla activities of local resistance forces" inside Russia.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that he cannot confirm Russia's accusation that Ukraine was involved in the drone incident. Blinken has also advised caution when interpreting statements from the Russian presidency, saying they should be taken with "a very large shaker of salt".

Former US deputy assistant secretary of Defense and CIA officer Mick Mulroy has suggested that the incident is unlikely to be an assassination attempt on President Putin. Instead, he believes that it may have been intended to demonstrate to the Russian people that they can be targeted anywhere and that the conflict in Ukraine may have consequences for Russia itself. Alternatively, Mulroy suggests that the incident may have been fabricated by Russia to provide a pretext for targeting Ukrainian President Zelensky.

In response to the drone incident, Moscow's mayor Sergei Sobyanin has announced a ban on unauthorized drone flights over the city. Sobyanin has cited security concerns and attacks from pro-Ukrainian forces as reasons for the ban. Several Russian cities have already scaled back this year's Victory Day celebrations due to security concerns.