The United States has denied any involvement in a purported drone attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin, with John Kirby from the National Security Council stating that "Mr. Peskov is lying." Former intelligence officers, diplomats, military officials and analysts have expressed skepticism about Russia's narrative, and unnamed U.S. officials are working to determine whether the attack was orchestrated by Kyiv or a pro-Ukraine rogue group, or a false flag operation by the Kremlin. NBC News has viewed two videos of the incident, and the investigation is ongoing.
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an unannounced visit to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday, one day after Russia accused the United States of being behind an alleged drone attack. The ICC recently issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Zelenskyy's visit is likely related to the warrant, as he was in The Hague to discuss the matter with the ICC and the International Court of Justice.
Two former Russian convicts have made claims that Ukraine attempted to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack on the Kremlin. Azamat Uldarov and Alexey Savichev, who were both pardoned by Russian presidential decrees last year, also claimed to have been commanders of the Wagner Group. Russia has responded to the claims with fury, while Ukraine has denied the accusations and two Russian officials have expressed skepticism. It is currently unclear whether the claims are true, as CNN is unable to independently verify them.
Russian authorities have accused Ukraine of attempting to launch a drone attack on the Kremlin overnight in an effort to assassinate President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin has called the incident a "terrorist act" and said Russian military and security forces disabled the drones before they could strike. Ukraine has denied any involvement, and the investigation is ongoing. The attempted attack has raised questions about security in the region and the need for increased vigilance and security measures.
Vladimir Putin visited command posts of the Kremlin’s forces fighting in Ukraine on Tuesday, chairing meetings with his military top brass in an apparent demonstration of authority. The visit is seen as a show of support for the Kremlin’s forces in Ukraine, and is likely to be seen as a sign of Russia’s commitment to the separatists in the conflict which has killed over 10,000 people since April 2014.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu met in Moscow to discuss their countries' close military cooperation, which includes the exchange of useful information and joint exercises. This marks Li's first overseas trip since taking on the role of Defense Minister last month, and follows the US' 2018 sanctions against him for transactions with Russia's state-controlled arms exporter. The meeting is seen as a sign of the strong relationship between Russia and China, which has been further strengthened since Russia sent troops into Ukraine.
Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent Kremlin critic, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Monday by a Moscow court for treason and denigrating the Russian military. His arrest and sentencing have been widely condemned by human rights groups and international organizations, including the US Ambassador to Moscow and the European Union. Kara-Murza has twice survived poisonings he blamed on the Kremlin and in his final statement said he remains proud of standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin's "dictatorship."
Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent Kremlin critic and Russian human rights advocate, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on charges of treason and denigrating the Russian military by a Moscow court. His detention has been widely condemned as a politically motivated move to silence dissent, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the European Union expressing their deep concern over the ruling.