Russia claims Kremlin hit by drones

Moscow accuses Kyiv of the attack, but Ukraine denies responsibility

Russia claimed to reserve the right to take retaliatory measures "whenever and wherever it sees fit" after an alleged drone attack at the Kremlin "aiming at killing President Vladimir Putin" on Wednesday.

Russia will be ready to respond to Kyiv's attempt to carry out a drone attack on the Kremlin, the Russian Presidential press service said in a statement on Wednesday.

Moscow accused Ukraine of the attack but Ukraine said later on Wednesday it has nothing to do with the alleged Kremlin drone attack.

As the Kremlin did not present any evidence from the reported incident, and its statement included few details, an unverified video circulating on Russian social media including the channel of the military news outlet Zvezda showed pale smoke rising behind the main Kremlin Palace in the walled citadel after the purported incident.

The video was posted in the early hours of Wednesday on a group for residents of a neighborhood that faces the Kremlin across the Mosvka River and picked up by Russian media, including the Telegram channel of the military news outlet Zvezda.

Kremlin described the attack as "a preplanned act of terrorism and an attempt on the life of the Russian president, which took place just before the Victory Day and the May 9 Parade that will be attended by foreign guests".

"As a result of timely actions taken by military and special services using electronic warfare systems, the drones were disabled," the Kremlin stated.

"Their fall and the fragments scattered around on the territory of the Kremlin caused no casualties or material damage," the press service stressed.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told China Daily on Wednesday that Putin is working in Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow, where he met with Nizhny Novgorod Governor Gleb Nikitin. The state news agency RIA reported that Putin had not changed his schedule and was working as usual.

Russian authorities have introduced a ban on all unmanned aerial vehicles flying over the city except those necessary for state needs on Wednesday after the attack.

Meanwhile, Putin has been upbeat about efforts to develop the regions in eastern Ukraine, as he said on Tuesday that everything is in place to foster the socioeconomic development of the "new regions".

Putin made the remarks during a video link at a ceremony in Mariupol in Donetsk. He required more hard details about the economic development program in his address, "so that people could see the potential".

Visible results

"I have no doubt that through joint efforts the outlined tasks will definitely be accomplished. We have all the resources, experience and expertise for that," Putin assured.

He thanked all the Russian regions for providing support to "the country's new constituent members", as well as construction workers, engineers and people in various spheres taking part in restoration efforts.

"I know that they are being carried out at a rapid pace, and that there are visible results already. Yet, we still have a lot to do to bring life in the Donetsk, Lugansk and the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions back to normal," Putin added.

Russia incorporated the four regions in eastern Ukraine last October after Putin signed federal laws and constitutional laws formalizing the accession. Last Friday, the Russian leader signed a decree that gives people living in those four regions a path to Russian citizenship.