U.S. officials suspect Ukrainians behind Kremlin drone attack.

Ukraine Likely Behind Drone Attack on Kremlin, U.S. Officials Say

American officials said that Ukraine was likely behind the May 3 drone attack on the Kremlin that the Russians called an attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin.

U.S. intelligence officials believe that the drone attack on the Kremlin was carried out by Ukraine as part of a series of covert military or intelligence operations on Russian soil. The attack caused little to no damage, and Putin was not at the Kremlin at the time of the strike. Video footage showed two drones crashing near the Kremlin earlier this month.

Embarrassment for the Kremlin

After initially wondering if Russia conducted the drone attack as a “false flag” operation, the U.S. intercepted Russian communications indicating the country was surprised by the attack. Military analyst Dara Massicot said, “Watching how the Kremlin has responded suggests to me this was an embarrassment and surprise for them, and not a deliberate false flag.”

Ukrainian Officials Deny Involvement

U.S. intelligence also intercepted Ukrainian officials saying their country was responsible for the attack, but they appeared to have no knowledge of who within the Ukrainian government planned it. Officials had “low” confidence that the Ukrainian government authorized the drone attack, and some officials said they did not believe President Volodymyr Zelensky was aware of the covert operation.

Denial from the U.S.

Russia initially blamed Ukraine for the attack and then singled out the U.S., accusing Ukraine’s most powerful ally of giving Kyiv the go-ahead to conduct the operation. The U.S. quickly denied any claims that it was in any way behind an attack on Russia’s capital. National Security spokesman John Kirby told CNN, “I can assure you the United States had no role in it whatsoever.”

Alarming Invasions into Russian Territory

If Ukraine was behind the drone attack as U.S. intelligence officials believe, it would mark at least the third attack on Russian soil that the U.S. believes Ukraine is behind. The bold invasions into Russian territory have alarmed the Biden administration, which has handed over armored vehicles, long-range missiles, and billions of dollars to help Ukraine fight the Russians. The president is also preparing to approve the shipment of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from other allies.

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Tim Pearce contributed to this report.