KIEV (Reuters) – Russia said on Thursday that the United States was behind the drone attack on the Kremlin. kill President Vladimir Putin and air raid sirens sounded again in Kiev as darkness fell following the previous night’s attacks.
Reuters witnesses heard gunshots and repeated violent explosions near the center of Kiev. A resident who went to the bunker told Reuters he saw a drone in the air.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks in The Hague after visiting the International Court of Justice (ICC), saying Putin should be tried for war and Kiev will work to create a new court for this purpose said it would.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, without providing any evidence, that Ukraine acted on the orders of the United States in a suspected drone attack on the Kremlin citadel in the early hours of Wednesday.
White House National Security Press Secretary John Kirby said Peskov “just lying“And the United States neither encouraged nor enabled Ukraine to strike outside its borders.
Kiev has also denied any involvement in the incident. The incident followed a series of explosions targeting freight trains and oil depots in western Russia and Russian-controlled Crimea. The Russian government has also blamed Ukraine for these attacks.
“Attempts to deny this[attack on the Kremlin]in both Kiev and Washington are, of course, utterly absurd. I know, ”Peskov told reporters.
Peskov said an urgent investigation was underway and any response would be carefully considered and balanced.
Russia’s foreign ministry said it “must not go unanswered” about the alleged drone attack, showing that Kiev was unwilling to end the 15-month-old war at the negotiating table.
Russia increasingly accuses the United States of direct participation in the war and intent on inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Russia. Washington denied this, saying it was arming Kiev to defend itself and retake illegally seized land.
Targeting Kiev, Odessa
Earlier on Thursday, Russia launched two dozen combat drones over Ukraine, striking Kiev for the third time in four days and attacking a university campus in the Black Sea city of Odessa.
There were no reports of casualties.
Kiev city officials said Russia probably dismissal We shot down ballistic missiles and drones, but they were all shot down. Given the difficulty of shooting down ballistic missiles, this could indicate that Ukraine was using sophisticated air defense systems provided by the West.
Officials said air defenses shot down 18 of 24 “kamikaze” drones in the predawn attack. Of his 15 drones launched in Odessa, 12 were shot down, but three hit the university campus, according to the Southern Command.
Shelling in the Donetsk region damaged a power plant owned by power company DTEK Energo, but no casualties were reported, DTEK and the Ministry of Energy said.
of fatalities Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said the number had risen to 23 from the Russian shelling of Kherson and its surroundings in southern Ukraine on Wednesday.
Russia denies targeting Ukrainian civilians.
“Full Justice”
“The aggressor must feel the full force of justice. This is our historical responsibility,” Zelensky said in a speech at The Hague.
ICC in March arrest warrant For Putin on suspicion of deporting children from Ukraine.
Russia, which is not a member of the ICC and denies its jurisdiction, denies committing atrocities during a “special military operation” in Ukraine, which threatens its security against hostile Western powers. states that it is necessary to protect
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Zelensky’s host, said Russia must be held accountable for any war crimes, said there was “no taboo” when it came to military aid, and called for Dutch “unwavering” support for Kiev. promised.
Zelensky vowed to drive back all invading Russian forces to the borders set in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He said he would succeed against a “discouraged” Russia.
There are currently no peace talks to end the war that ravaged Ukrainian towns and cities, killed thousands and displaced millions from their homes.
Reported by Kiev, Moscow and Amsterdam bureaus Written by Gareth Jones Edited by Nick McPhee
Our criteria: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.