Explosions Over Kremlin Increase Tensions
Footage showing a mysterious explosion over Russia’s Kremlin. Photo: Ostorozhno Novosti/Handout via Reuters.
Early Wednesday morning, a pair of what appeared to be drones exploded above the Kremlin in Moscow. The Russian government blamed Ukraine for what it called a “planned terrorist attack” on its capital and an “assassination attempt” on President Vladimir Putin. Later, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned of potential countermeasures and added that the United States was involved, saying “Undoubtedly, Such decisions, the definition of goals, the definition of means—all this is dictated to Kyiv from Washington.”
Leaders from both Ukraine and the United States deny the Russian allegations. During his visit to Finland this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that his forces were not responsible for attacks on Russian soil: “We don't attack Putin or Moscow. We fight on our territory. We are defending our villages and cities." Zelenskyy added that it was the job of an international tribunal to punish Putin.
Videos of the explosion were shared on social media platforms like Telegram, but did not gain widespread attention from the media until the Russian government announced the incident approximately twelve hours later. They appear to show small explosions and subsequent smoke over a dome within the Kremlin, but that the blasts produced minimal damage. Russia claims that the drones were shot down after being intercepted by their air defenses, albeit too close for comfort.
Joining the chorus of American leaders that have denied foreknowledge or liability regarding the attack, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned yesterday that these types of declarations from the Kremlin should only be taken with “a very large shaker of salt.”
First responders in Kyiv after a Russian attack this morning. Photo: Nicole Tung/New York Times.
Blinken is among those that question the legitimacy of the allegations or wonder whether Russia planned the event as a false flag in order to blame its enemies. This is the probable case for many experts, according to the Guardian, which wrote that the explosions “came at a potential turning point in the war, as Ukraine prepares to mount a long-anticipated counteroffensive.”
Though some experts do find it odd that Russian leadership would want to show weakness or vulnerability in the heart of Moscow. Indeed, it is not yet out of the question that Russia did not stage the attack—intelligence leaks in recent months have suggested that pro-Ukraine, or at least anti-Russia, groups could have been responsible for incidents such as the Nord Stream Pipeline blasts last fall. But if the Kremlin explosions were a legitimate attack, their connection to Kyiv or Washington would be an even shakier one to allege.
Whether or not it was a false flag, explosions did occur over the Kremlin, and Russia will most likely use the event to justify an escalation in the war over Ukraine. Last night Russian forces have already begun ramping up bombardments, launching dozens of drones and missiles in eastern Ukraine, as well as in major cities like Kyiv and Odessa. Tensions about the potential use of nuclear weapons has also grown over the past couple weeks, with Russia repeatedly hinting at a direct nuclear confrontation with the United States and what they call the “Collective West.”
What this week’s events have meant for the future of the war is still uncertain. But as the intensity of fighting increases, and as it threatens to further grow outside Ukraine, the upcoming weeks could tell us where things will head with Europe’s largest conflict since the Second World War.