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What did the Kremlin drone incident claim?
Summary
A look back at the Russian accusation of an assassination attempt on Putin and Ukraine's denial.
What happened at the Kremlin on 3 May 2023, and who said what about it? Two drones were shot down near the Kremlin in Moscow. Russia responded by accusing Ukraine of attempting to assassinate President Vladimir Putin.
A Kremlin spokesman said Putin was not inside the Kremlin when the drones came down. The background to the incident likewise records that he was not present in the building and that no one was injured. A video showed at least one drone hitting the compound.
Competing accounts
The central dispute was over responsibility. Russia framed the incident as a Ukrainian attempt on the president's life. Ukraine denied any involvement in the attack.
The drones were described as explosive and as having allegedly targeted the Kremlin, a qualification that reflects how the incident was presented rather than a settled account of who launched them.
Why it mattered
The incident took place amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war and put an attack on the Russian capital's most prominent site at the centre of the public argument. What was established on 3 May 2023 was limited: two drones were downed, the president was absent, nobody was hurt, and the two governments gave opposing accounts.
