Russia has claimed it stopped two drone attacks on Vladimir Putin’s presidential home overnight and threatened to retaliate against Kyiv.
The Kremlin blamed Ukraine for what it called a “terrorist act” and said Russian military and security forces disabled the drones before they could strike.
No victims or damage were reported and Mr Putin was not injured, it added.
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The influential speaker of Russia’s parliament demanded the use of “weapons capable of stopping and destroying the Kyiv terrorist regime” in response.
In a statement posted on Telegram, Vyacheslav Volodin said Russia should not negotiate with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the purported attack.
“On Wednesday night, the Kyiv regime made an attempt to strike using a UAV the Kremlin residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
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“Two unmanned aerial vehicles were aimed at the Kremlin.
“As a result of timely actions taken by the military and special services with the use of radar warfare systems, the vehicles were disabled.”
The Kremlin did not present any evidence to back up its account, including the allegation it was an assassination attempt as Russia prepares to observe its annual Victory Day next Tuesday.
It said Russia reserved the right to retaliate – suggesting Moscow might use the alleged attack to further escalate its war in Ukraine.
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Footage appears to show flying object exploding
Footage on Russian social media appears to show a flying object exploding over the dome of the Kremlin senate building overlooking Red Square.
Another video appears to show a plume of smoke rising over the Kremlin following the alleged attack.
Sky News has been unable to independently verify the footage.
Putin was not in Kremlin
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that Mr Putin was not in the Kremlin at the time and was working in Novo-Ogaryovo, outside of Moscow.
The Kremlin added that Mr Putin’s schedule was unchanged.
Mr Peskov said Russia’s Victory Day parade would take place as scheduled on 9 May. The major public holiday commemorates the Soviet Victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War and presents an opportunity for Mr Putin to rally Russians behind his “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Security is being beefed up in Moscow while several Russian regions have announced they are scaling back their celebrations due to fears pro-Ukrainian saboteurs could target the festivities.
Shortly before news about the alleged attack broke Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the city had introduced an immediate ban on unauthorised drone flights.
Kyiv denies it carried out alleged strike
A senior Ukrainian presidential official said Kyiv had nothing to do with the alleged drone strike.
Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said the Kremlin’s allegations suggest Russia could be preparing for a large-scale “terrorist” attack against Ukraine in the coming days.
“Of course, Ukraine has nothing to do with drone attacks on the Kremlin. We do not attack the Kremlin because, first of all, it does not resolve any military problems,” he said.
“And most importantly, it would allow Russia to justify massive strikes on Ukrainian cities, on the civilian population, on infrastructure facilities. Why do we need this?”
He added: “In my opinion, it is absolutely obvious that both ‘reports about an attack on the Kremlin’ and simultaneously
the supposed detention of Ukrainian saboteurs in Crimea… clearly indicate the preparation of a large-scale terrorist provocation by Russia in the coming days.”
Air strike alerts issued in Ukraine
Shortly after the Kremlin’s accusation Ukraine reported alerts for air strikes over Kyiv and other cities.
Military analyst Sean Bell told Sky News that while Ukraine has been doing “a lot of activity with drones”, it “does feel odd that Ukraine would be so audacious as to mount something in Moscow”.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington could not validate reports Ukraine had targeted Mr Putin, adding in an interview with the Washington Post that he would take anything coming from the Kremlin “with a large shaker of salt”.
Asked if the US would criticise Kyiv if it decided on its own to strike back in Russian territory, Mr Blinken said it was up to Ukraine to decide how to defend itself.
Russian accusations of cross-border attacks
Russia has accused Ukraine of several cross-border attacks since the start of the war, including strikes in December on an air base deep inside Russian territory that houses strategic bomber planes equipped to carry nuclear weapons.
In February a drone crashed in Kolomna, around 110km (70 miles) from the centre of Moscow.
