Tension rose between Russians and Westerners on Thursday, the day after the alleged attack by Ukrainian drones against the Kremlin.
Did Ukraine try to attack the Kremlin with a drone, on US orders? This is what Russia said on Thursday, May 4, a hypothesis rejected by the West, Washington in the lead. And while the Ukrainian counter-offensive is taking shape, the destruction of drones by kyiv is increasing. Franceinfo takes stock of what to remember from the day on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Drone explosion over the Kremlin: Moscow accuses, Washington replies
On Wednesday, Moscow claimed to have intercepted two Ukrainian drones targeting the Kremlin, denouncing an attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin. On Thursday, a great blur still surrounds this supposed strike attempt, the most spectacular attributed to Ukraine since the start of the Russian offensive in February 2022.
The Russian authorities have not made public any evidence and it is impossible to authenticate the videos broadcast by certain Russian media on which a small drone can be seen approaching the Kremlin and then exploding in a sheaf of flames. Ukraine has in any case firmly denied any link with this affair, even accusing Russia of having it “staging” to justify a possible future escalation of the conflict, again without providing convincing evidence.
“The efforts of Kyiv and Washington to deny responsibility are totally ridiculous. Decisions about such attacks are not made in Kyiv but in Washington”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, without, however, substantiating his accusations. United States “have nothing to do with this case”, retorted John Kirby, the spokesman for the National Security Council of the White House. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has meanwhile urged Moscow not to use the alleged Ukrainian attack. “as an excuse to continue the escalation” in the conflict.
Tight security in Moscow ahead of May 9 celebrations
Security measures will be “reinforced”assured the spokesman of the Kremlin, while the celebrations of May 9 marking the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 are looming. speech, according to his spokesperson.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that “terrorist and sabotage activities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces” were taking “unprecedented scale”. Attacks have indeed multiplied in recent days, with in particular several incursions by drones and spectacular railway sabotage. On Thursday, drones hit two oil refineries in southwestern Russia, near Ukraine. In the evening, another was shot down near a Russian air base in Sevastopol, in annexed Crimea.
kyiv says it shot down around 20 drones before its counter-offensive
On the ground, Russian strikes have been increasing in intensity for several days, the US State Department declaring that it has recorded 145 since May 1. Ukraine, which claims to be completing its preparations for a major offensive, said it shot down about 30 explosive drones sent by Russia on Thursday.
In the evening in Kiev, victim of a wave of attacks the previous night, explosions were again heard by AFP journalists, the mayor of the capital, Vitali Klitschko, reporting “explosions and fires”. However, in a clarification a few hours later, the Ukrainian Air Force admitted having had to destroy one of its own drones, a Bayraktar TB2 (Turkish-made), “during a regular flight in the kyiv region”.
The escalation in attacks comes at a time when Ukraine says it has completed its preparations for a major spring offensive that has been announced for weeks. Rumors are rife among analysts about the date of this attack and its targets, with in any case the stated aim of reconquering the occupied territories in the east and south.
Volodymyr Zelensky calls for the creation of a special court for the crime of aggression
During his trip to The Hague (Netherlands), where the International Criminal Court (ICC) sits, Volodymyr Zelensky called for the creation of a special court to punish the “crime of aggression” Russian, “the beginning of evil”. He also said that Ukraine, “realistic”did not expect to join NATO as long as the conflict continued to rage, while urging its Western allies to continue “as quickly as possible” arms deliveries.
An investigation opened in Germany after leaks on a possible visit by Volodymyr Zelensky
The Berlin police have announced that they have opened an investigation into the disclosure by one of its members in the press of information about a possible visit to Germany by Volodymyr Zelensky. The investigation concerns a “suspicion of treason of secrecy”after information published on Wednesday in the Berlin daily BZ on a possible visit of the Ukrainian president on May 13 to Berlin. In its Wednesday edition, the BZquoting a member of the Berlin police, claimed that Zelensky was to land on May 13 in Berlin and be received with military honors on the 14th by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and then by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.