The Russian president’s office said on Wednesday morning that two tiny unmanned aircraft were shot down using electronic warfare techniques above Vladimir Putin’s working apartment. The Kremlin claimed that the incident was a “preplanned terrorist action” by Ukrainian soldiers and an attempt on Putin’s life in a statement.
Since the beginning of Moscow’s military action in Ukraine last year, Ukrainian troops have conducted many strikes into Russian territory. As Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after a drone strike on Russian military sites in December, American authorities have consistently maintained that they “neither encouraged nor enabled” the strikes.
Similar language has been used by American officials to justify their hesitation to provide Ukraine long-range missiles, such as ATACMS rounds for use with Kiev’s US-provided HIMARS rocket artillery units. Although not Moscow, Ukrainian forces could use these 300-kilometer-range missiles to attack Russia’s border regions.
To assault Russian territory, Ukraine has utilized certain weapons supplied by the US. While the precise weapons used in the overnight attack on the Kremlin are unknown, American-made Switchblade drones have reportedly been used to target the Belgorod region. Earlier this month, the US also sent Ukraine an unspecified number of Altius 600 ‘kamikaze’ drones.
With a three-kilogram warhead and a 445-kilometer range, these drones can just about go from the northeast of Ukraine to Moscow.
Additionally, the US has provided Ukraine with rocket-propelled bombs for use with its HIMARS systems as well as tacit approval for Kiev to use these weapons against Crimea, which has been an integral part of the Russian Federation since 2014.
According to Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, press secretary for the Pentagon, “Ukrainian plans on operations clearly are their decision.”
The Kremlin said in response to the incident that took place in Moscow overnight that Russia has the right to react “anywhere and anytime it deems necessary.” Putin’s administration made no mention of the nature of any retribution, but prominent Russian politician Vyacheslav Volodin urged the government to use “weapons capable of stopping and destroying the Kiev terrorist regime.”
