Putin 'Assassination' Attempt Raises Eyebrows

Internet users have expressed multiple oddities about Russia's claim that Ukraine attempted to "assassinate" Vladimir Putin on Wednesday with drones directed at the Kremlin.

The Kremlin's press service called the incident, where one or two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) were launched by unknown entities, "a planned terrorist act" and an attempt on Putin's life. State Duma deputy Mikhail Sheremet called for a retaliatory missile strike on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's residence in Kyiv, according to Russian state-owned media RIA Novosti.

Some aspects have drawn considerable speculation, including Putin not being home at the time of this incident; air defense missiles failing to hit at least one incoming drone; and Russian state-sponsored news agencies publicly announcing Putin's whereabouts, as he rarely ever goes to the Kremlin or spends the night there.

"We regard these actions as a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the life of the President of the Russian Federation, carried out on the eve of Victory Day, the May 9 parade, at which the presence of foreign guests is also planned," the Kremlin said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied the Kremlin's allegations during a trip to Finland in relation to potential NATO membership.

"We are not attacking either Putin or Moscow," Zelensky said. "We are fighting for our own territory, defending our villages and towns. We don't have enough weapons to do this; we have a shortage of weapons.

"We can't use it for nothing. That's why we didn't attack Putin. We'll leave that to the international tribunal."

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters that Russia's claims "clearly indicate the preparation of a large-scale terrorist provocation by Russia in the coming days."

Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported that Putin was not in the Kremlin during the attacks, instead working at his Novo Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow.

"Putin does not spend nights in the Kremlin," Russian expert Dmitry Gorenburg of the Center for Naval Analyses told Newsweek via email. "In fact, he's rarely there at all except for official occasions.

"Also, we should not take any statement about Putin's location at face value. If he was where the official statement said he was, we can be pretty confident he is not there now."

Two drones from different directions

While some video clips documenting the drone incident showed one UAV colliding with the Kremlin, RIA Novosti initially reported that two UAVs were "aimed" at the Russian government epicenter.

It is a statement supported by multiple others.

Liza Fokht, a Moscow-based reporter for the BBC, tweeted that she is "convinced" there were two drones targeted in the Kremlin's direction. She posted two different angles of video.

One showed a drone flying over the trapezoidal GUM building, from the side of the Old Square, prior to exploding in mid-air and leaving a visible trail of smoke.

Another angle from the same exact video feed shows "clearly" that the drone does not fly over Red Square but comes from the other side, she said, prior to crashing into the roof.

"It is noteworthy that both drones, moving from different directions, were aimed precisely at the dome of the Senate Palace," Fokht wrote, adding that the first one may have been shot down.

Another tweeted video purportedly shows two unknown individuals climbing the stairs toward the top of the dome as the drone collides with the building.

Samuel Bendett, an adjunct senior fellow and advisor at the Center for a New American Security, told Newsweek via email that he "tends to agree" with Fokht's theory.

"I am skeptical of an assassination attempt claim, but if in fact this was a Ukrainian strike, it carries significant symbolism by demonstrating the capacity to reach the very heart of the Russian government, and a location where Russia intends to hold its deeply symbolic May 9 parade," Bendett said.

He referred to a Twitter thread posted by GeoConfirmed, which said based on geographic data that the first drone attack occurred from the western direction at 2:27 local time; and the second from the eastern direction at 2:43 local time.

The two aforementioned individuals walking up the stairs between drone attacks may have been checking on the UAV that blew up around 2:27 a.m.

"It's highly likely, based on the footage, that two drones penetrated the Moscow Air Defense and exploded above the Senate Palace in the Kremlin, what should be the most protected area in Moscow and even in Russia," GeoConfirmed tweeted. "This is a huge humiliation for Russia."

'Permission' to strike Kyiv

Sergej Sumlenny, an Eastern European expert, tweeted that the Kremlin's allegation is part of a "false flag" operation.

He said the Kremlin controls all CCTV footage, so any video leaks would equate to the Kremlin "wanting us to see it." Also, he said the Kremlin was quite quick to make a public statement and simultaneously blame Ukraine when Russia typically has not confirmed anything that swiftly in the past.

"There was no assassination attempt on Putin," tweeted Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia. "First, the drone used had no capacity to do major damage, let alone kill someone in the building. Second, Putin does not live (or sleep) in the Kremlin. Please stop repeating this Russian propaganda line."

Gorenburg speculates "even odds" on whether this was an actual Ukrainian attack, or a "Russian simulation designed to give itself permission" to strike government buildings in Kyiv in the future.