Russia says ‘completely ridiculous’ for US and Kyiv to disclaim finishing up Kremlin drone assault

Russia has accused the US of being behind what it claims was a drone assault on the Kremlin – lower than a day after it alleged Ukraine was accountable.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned Russia is aware of the US is choosing targets and Ukraine is simply finishing up Washington’s plans.

“Attempts to disown this, both in Kyiv and in Washington, are of course, absolutely ridiculous,” he mentioned.

“We know very well that decisions about such actions, about such terrorist attacks, are made not in Kyiv but in Washington.”

He didn’t present any proof of this.

The attack on the home of Russian President Vladimir Putin occurred within the early hours of Wednesday, prompting Putin accountable Ukraine for what he mentioned was a “terrorist act”.

Ukraine war latest: US ‘definitely’ behind Kremlin attack

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had responded: “We don’t attack Putin or Moscow – we fight on our own territory”.

The Kremlin mentioned the drones had been disabled earlier than they might strike and there have been no studies of victims or harm.

Ukraine’s army mentioned the three Russian-launched drones that hit a college in Odesa within the early hours of Thursday had been inscribed “for Moscow” and “for the Kremlin”.

The Kremlin had mentioned it reserved the fitting to retaliate for the assault, nevertheless it had not mentioned what type this retaliation would possibly take.

Mr Peskov mentioned on Thursday that Russia has a number of choices and that the response – when it comes – can be rigorously thought of and balanced.

His phrases got here simply hours after Ukraine mentioned it had shot down greater than a dozen Russian-launched drones within the early hours of Thursday morning.

The 18 drones had been amongst 24 launched in pre-dawn assaults throughout Ukraine, with a quantity geared toward Kyiv – all of which had been destroyed alongside an unspecified variety of missiles, metropolis officers mentioned.

Administration officers within the capital mentioned: “The Russians have attacked Kyiv using Shahed loitering munitions and missiles, likely the ballistic type.”

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

Some 15 Shahed drones had been fired on the Black Sea port metropolis of Odesa, with air defences destroying 12 of those, in accordance with Ukraine’s southern army command.

Three of the drones struck a college compound. There had been no casualties.

Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspline additionally reported explosions within the southern metropolis of Zaporizhzhia, with the top of the town’s regional army administration Yuri Malashko confirming anti-aircraft defences had been at work.

Russia has recurrently bombarded Ukraine since October and the newest assaults come lower than 24 hours after Kyiv mentioned 21 folks had been killed in a Russian strike on the town of Kherson.

Mr Zelenskyy mentioned a grocery store, railway station and residential buildings had been among the many locations hit.

Read extra:
Russia’s Victory Day celebrations scaled back over fears of attack
Is there a stalemate in Ukraine war – or is this the lull before the storm?

The Ukrainian president visited the International Criminal Court at The Hague on Thursday morning and reiterated his denials of involvement within the assault on the Kremlin.

He mentioned: “We didn’t attack Putin. We leave it to (the) tribunal.”

Speaking at a news convention within the Netherlands, Mr Zelenskyy mentioned he hoped the Russian chief would face a global struggle crimes court docket sooner or later.

“We all want to see… Vladimir here in The Hague,” he mentioned, including he “deserves to be sentenced” and delivered to justice.

The Hague is dwelling to the International Criminal Court which has issued an arrest warrant accusing President Putin of war crimes – the unlawful deportation of children from occupied components of Ukraine to Russia.