Published: Just now
Ukrainian drones fly quietly over Moscow.
Soon the Kremlin may be drawn into the war zone.
This is how Putin is warned with a drone film from the air over the Russian capital.
The well-known silhouettes of Red Square can be seen from above in the blue sky.
The clip is being shared as a warning to Russia that Ukraine can reach all the way to the country’s center of power.
The statement comes from Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, writes Newsweek.
“Any fireworks?”
In posts on Telegram and Twitter, he shares a short bird’s-eye video clip of central Moscow.
In a mocking message to Putin, the adviser writes that drones from Ukraine are “quietly flying” over Moscow – and that the Kremlin has every opportunity to be drawn “into the affected areas very soon”.
“Any fireworks planned for May 9?” Gerashchenko writes, referring to the Russian Victory Day when the Nazis’ fall in World War II is celebrated.
This year, the celebration is characterized by significantly higher security than usual. After attacks deep into Russian territory and an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive, concern is high in Russia.
Anxiety before Victory Day
The traditional military parade will be held in Moscow, but with a large security presence and roadblocks.
In Crimea and in Russian cities closer to the Ukrainian border, planned festivities and parades on May 9 have been cancelled, writes Newsweek.
On Twitter, Gerashchenko continues to taunt the Russian leadership with not-too-subtle threats against the leadership’s victory celebrations.
“Red Square will be closed to the public from April 27 to May 10 due to preparations and the implementation of the parade. If I’m right, this has never happened before in Moscow’s history – not even in 1941. Are those in power in the Kremlin afraid of something?”, he writes.
Found three drones
He continues
“But there is one thing: drones fall from the sky. Shutting down a square does not protect against it”.
The Russian state-controlled news agency Tass states on Tuesday that three camera-equipped drones have been discovered in different locations in Moscow.
One of the drones was spotted near the Bogorodskoye area, where a drone rigged with explosives was found a day earlier, authorities said according to Newsweek.
The downed drone was “equipped with a camera and a microphone” and was found about four kilometers from the place where “a Ukrainian drone with explosives” crashed, it says.
Million reward for Russian mockery
According to Tass, the three camera-equipped drones have been sent for analysis and they must now investigate who they belong to and for what purpose they were sent up.
According to Newsweek, Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for sending up the drones.
The newspaper states that it could not verify that the video clip shared by Anton Gerashchenko was filmed by any of the drones in question.
Ukrainian banker Volodymyr Yatsenko has previously said that he is giving a reward of approximately five million kroner to the manufacturer who lands a drone in Moscow on May 9.