Updated on 05/04/2023 23:28
After the drone incident at the Kremlin, one thing is clear to US military experts: Moscow itself staged the drone incident. Moscow points to Washington on the matter. Meanwhile there were several explosions in Kiev and numerous drones were shot down. The day at a glance.
One day after the mysterious drone incident at the Kremlin in Russia, the background is still open. While US military experts suspect a sham attack staged by Moscow for tactical reasons, Russia accuses the US of being the actual client. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressed concern about a possible further escalation. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian capital of Kiev was rocked by multiple explosions. During his trip to Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for Russia to be prosecuted for the war of aggression and war crimes.
Drone attack: military experts see signs of staging
According to international military experts, Russia probably staged two alleged Ukrainian drone strikes on the Kremlin itself. The Washington-based Institute for War Studies (ISW) wrote that several pieces of evidence indicated that the attack was internally directed and deliberately staged. According to the US think tank, Russian authorities have recently taken steps to strengthen air defenses. It is extremely unlikely that drones could have penetrated several air defense rings. The immediate and coordinated Russian response indicated that the attack was prepared internally in such a way that its intended political impact overwhelmed the embarrassment of hitting the Kremlin.
Russia: USA are behind the drone attack
Russia has accused the US of being behind the alleged drone attack on the Kremlin. “We know that the decision about such acts and acts of terrorism is not made in Kiev, but in Washington. And Kiev carries out what they are told,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Interfax news agency, without presenting any evidence. The US government dismissed the allegation as “ridiculous”. National Security Council communications director John Kirby said: “Mr. Peskow is lying.”
EU concerned about possible escalation after drone incident
“What worries us is that this could be used as justification for further attacks on Ukraine,” EU foreign policy chief Borrell said on the sidelines of a meeting of EU development ministers in Brussels. “We call on Russia not to use this alleged attack as a pretext for a further escalation of the war.”
Russian drone strikes on Odessa
In new heavy drone attacks against Ukraine during the night, Russia primarily targeted the port city of Odessa. “The enemy directed 15 Shahed-131/136 (Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles) towards Odessa during the night,” the Southern Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said. Twelve drones were shot down and three started a fire in a dormitory, which could be extinguished quickly and without victims, it said. According to the air force, 18 of 24 drones aimed at Ukraine were shot down. In addition to Odessa, the capital Kiev also reported drone attacks. According to the military administration, all flying objects there were destroyed during the approach.
Several explosions in Kyiv
The Ukrainian capital Kiev was rocked by several explosions on Thursday evening. AFP journalists saw a drone trying to shoot down Ukrainian air defenses. The city’s military administration said air defenses were deployed over Kiev. The explosions stopped after about 15 to 20 minutes. The military administration said the air alert had ended. A plume of black smoke hung in the air over the city.
“The enemy drone was shot down,” the chief of staff of
Selenskyj calls for a tribunal modeled on the Nuremberg trials
Without justice, no peace is possible, Zelenskyj said in The Hague on Thursday. He cited the Nuremberg trials against the German National Socialists after the Second World War as a model for a tribunal. “A lasting peace is only possible if we also hold the aggressors accountable,” said Zelenskyj. “Of course we would all have preferred to see a different Vladimir here in The Hague today,” he said at the beginning of his speech, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyj’s first name is the Ukrainian form of the name.
OSCE report: abducting Ukrainian children is a war crime
According to an investigation by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Russia committed war crimes by kidnapping Ukrainian children. The final report, which was presented in Vienna on Thursday, also said that deportations to Russia and Russian-controlled areas could also be considered crimes against humanity.
Selenskyj considers NATO accession in times of war unrealistic
For Zelenskyj, his country’s NATO accession during the war with Russia is unrealistic. “But during the war we want a very clear message that we will be in NATO after the war,” emphasized the 45-year-old in The Hague. In view of the military alliance summit in Vilnius in July, Kiev has received “positive messages” from some countries. He did not say which states want to signal more than just an “open door” to the Eastern European country. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte signaled support. “We support Ukraine’s NATO ambitions,” said Rutte.
The Netherlands is currently consulting with Denmark and Great Britain on the delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine. The delivery of the F-16 fighter jets is “no taboo,” said Rutte in The Hague. An agreement has not yet been reached. But that is a matter of time. (dpa/afp/cgo)
© dpa
After an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin, Russia has accused Ukraine of attempting an attack on President Putin. Ukraine rejects this.