[51054] Drone attack on Moscow and fear of a coup in the Kremlin
[51054] Drone attack on Moscow and fear of a coup in the Kremlin
Against the backdrop of preparations for the May 9th parade, Moscow was attacked by dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles, while reports point to internal instability and growing paranoia among Russia's leadership.
Moscow under drone attack and internal instability in the Kremlin
Over the last 24 hours, a massive attack by unmanned aerial vehicles (about 220 drones according to Реальна Війна) was reported on Moscow and the region. Drones were identified in close proximity to centers of government, and according to STERNENKO, one of them hit a residential building just 7 kilometers from the Kremlin. Ukrainian sources, including Труха⚡️Україна, note that this is a "dress rehearsal" for the Victory Parade on May 9th, while the Russian Ministry of Defense has threatened a "harsh response" if there are attempts to disrupt the events, according to СУСПІЛЬНЕ НОВИНИ.
At the same time, reports on various channels, including Оперативний ЗСУ and CNN (via Новинач), point to an atmosphere of fear and apprehension regarding a coup in the Kremlin. According to European intelligence reports published in the media, Russian President Vladimir Putin has significantly reduced his public appearances, moved to secure shelters, and tightened security procedures around his immediate circle, including a ban on the use of smartphones and constant monitoring of staff.
At the political level, President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the possibility of drone strikes during the parade, stating that "Russia is not as strong as it used to be," as reported by Україна Online. Concurrently, Zelensky announced a Ukrainian "silence regime" starting from the night between May 5th and 6th, as a mirror step to Russian declarations of a ceasefire, while emphasizing that no formal request had been received from the Russian side, according to Радіо Свобода.
In the background, Europe is monitoring the situation with concern. According to Лачен пише, citing Politico, many countries on the continent fear that the next two years will pose a real threat from Russia to NATO countries, with Moscow exploiting political uncertainty in the US. Additionally, Austria expelled three Russian diplomats for espionage activity after antennas were identified on the roofs of embassy complexes, as published in hromadske.