- Russia accused Ukraine of orchestrating a drone attack on the Kremlin on Wednesday.
- Russian media said it viewed the alleged attack as an attempt on Putin's life, Reuters reported.
A video that appears to show a drone strike on the Kremlin is being circulated on social media after Russia accused Ukraine of trying to assassinate President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian state news outlet RIA claimed early Wednesday that a drone attacked Putin's residence in the Kremlin citadel but was disabled by Russian defenses.
Ukraine denies it had anything to do with the strike on the Kremlin, saying such an attack would achieve nothing, the BBC reported.
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Unverified footage circulating online shows what appears to be a drone exploding over the citadel. The area appears to have been decorated for Russia's upcoming Victory Day parade.
The video was first posted on a group for residents of a neighborhood that faces the Kremlin across the Mosvka River, Reuters reported.
Another unverified video shows the top of the citadel in flames.
Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said the Russian leader was not in the Kremlin at the time of the alleged attack, The Guardian reported. His schedule was unaffected by the incident, Peskov added.
"Two unmanned aerial vehicles were aimed at the Kremlin. As a result of timely actions taken by the military and special services with the use of radar warfare systems, the vehicles were put out of action," the Kremlin press service said in a statement, Reuters reported.
"We regard these actions as a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the president's life, carried out on the eve of Victory Day, the May 9 Parade, at which the presence of foreign guests is also planned," the statement added.
May 9 is a major holiday in Russia that commemorates the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 and is usually marked with a military parade in front of the Kremlin.
The Kremlin said there were no victims and material damage. It also said "the Russian side reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit," according to Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was photographed on an official visit to Finland earlier on Wednesday.
Correction: May 3, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misidentified when Russia said the Kremlin was attacked. It said the attack took place overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, not Wednesday evening.