Update: Drone attack on the Kremlin: formal statements

Previous: An early Russian Reaction after drone attack on the Kremlin

It seems as if people are over their shock and the formal statements have been made.  But, where were the drones aimed at exactly?  Well, directly to Putin’s official residence, the old senate.  It is reported that two roof panels (of copper) were damaged in the take-down of one of the vehicles, but not badly.

The Kremlin Senate is divided into two parts – the Old Senate and the New Senate. The Old Senate was built in the 18th century and served as the seat of the Senate of the Russian Empire. It is thus a historic building.  The New Senate was built in the 19th century and was used as the headquarters of the Soviet government.

It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  On that basis, the Foreign Ministry of Russia made this statement to UNESCO, with the express objective to remove UNESCO support to the Kiev regime.

Comment of the Permanent Delegation of Russia 🇷🇺 to UNESCO about the attempted terrorist attacks on the World Heritage Site “Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow”

💬 We strongly condemn the attack by unmanned aerial vehicles on the Moscow Kremlin – the residence of the President of the Russian Federation, carried out by the Kiev regime on the night of May, 3. In addition to the assessments given in the message of the Presidential Press Service (http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/71091) and the Foreign Ministry statement (https://www.mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1867054/?lang=en), we would like to draw attention to the fact that this terrorist act was committed within the boundaries of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ” Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow “.

📍We consider this criminal act as a flagrant violation by Ukraine of its international obligations, including those under the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. According to this document, “Each State Party to this Convention undertakes not to take any deliberate measures which might damage directly or indirectly the cultural and natural heritage situated on the territory of other States Parties to this Convention” The hypocrisy of the Kiev clique is evident. Receiving significant funds from UNESCO, Kiev regularly and groundlessly accuses Russia of “damaging the Ukrainian cultural heritage” and, at the same time, does not adhere to the basic norms of international law in the field of protection of cultural monuments.

📍We demand that Director-General of UNESCO A.Azoulay condemns the illegal acts against the World Heritage Site. This is very important in order to force Kiev to fulfill its international obligations, and also to ensure that actions against Russian cultural monuments not go unpunished.

📍We are convinced that the Kiev regime, which has descended to direct attacks on the outstanding universal value of humankind, has no moral right to receive support from UNESCO.

We cannot hold our breaths for any statement by UNESCO, but it is another brick in the road that will benefit Russia in time to come.   Also notice the direct accusation to the Kiev regime.

In this vein, the Russian Foreign Ministery added their own statement:

⚡️ Foreign Ministry statement (https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1867054/) on the attempted terrorist attacks against the Moscow Kremlin – the residence of the President of the Russian Federation

❗️ The Foreign Ministry firmly condemns the attempted terrorist attacks against the Moscow Kremlin on the night of May 3, when it was targeted by unmanned aerial vehicles.

There is no doubt that the Kiev regime is behind these attacks. It has a long-standing record of intentionally supporting and employing terrorist methods against civilian infrastructure and civilians, including the October 8, 2022, explosion on the Crimean Bridge, strikes against non-military targets in the Bryansk, Belgorod and Rostov regions, as well as many acts of sabotage. Now comes Moscow.

This crime is aggravated by the fact that the Moscow Kremlin serves as the residence of the Head of State. What makes the actions of the neo-Nazi Ukrainian authorities especially cynical is that they made an attempt to assassinate the President of Russia ahead of Victory Day and the May 9 Parade. <…>

☝️ Crimes like this cannot go unanswered. The Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal case into actions designed to intimidate and terrorise people, inflict damage and kill people as a means of influencing the decision-making process by government agencies. We are certain that those who bear the blame for these acts will be identified. They will face imminent and inevitable punishment.

<…>

The silence on behalf of the collective West demonstrates its connivance with the terrorist methods employed by the neo-Nazi extremist regime in Kiev.

The Foreign Ministry believes that the international community and international organisations which are free from double standards and seek guidance from international law must condemn this new criminal undertaking by the Kiev regime. <…>

❗️ The Foreign Ministry reaffirms that Russia reserves the right to take countermeasures in response to these outrageous acts of terrorism.

Again the statement says that the Kiev regime is responsible.  But later on Maria Zakharova extended her comments.

MOSCOW, May 4. /TASS/. The United States, Great Britain and other NATO countries bear overall responsibility for all of the actions of the Kiev regime.

“First and foremost, the creators and handlers of the Kiev regime, who hail from Washington, London and NATO, bear overall responsibility for everything that it [Kiev] is perpetrating,” she noted.

The diplomat stressed that Western countries have “eliminated Ukraine’s legitimate authorities, placed opportunists and bandits at the helm, pumped them with money and weapons, instilled in them a sense of absolute license and impunity, and provided them with political cover and military support.”

The Statement from the Presidential Press Service was short and sweet.  Dmitry Peskov added to this in his briefing, stating work is continuing as usual and President Putin is following his planned schedule.

Last night, the Kiev regime attempted a drone strike against the residence of the President of the Russian Federation at the Kremlin.

Two unmanned aerial vehicles targeted the Kremlin. Timely action by the military and special services involving radar systems enabled them to disable the devices. They crashed in the Kremlin grounds, scattering fragments without causing any casualties or damage.

We view these actions as a planned terrorist attack and an assassination attempt targeting the President, carried out ahead of Victory Day and the May 9 Parade, where foreign guests are expected to be present, among others.

The President has not suffered in this terrorist attack. His working schedule remains unchanged and follows its ordinary course.

Russia reserves the right to take countermeasures wherever and whenever it deems appropriate.

Later on Peskov expanded on his remarks and also said that the decision to drone the Kremlin comes from NATO and the US.  Many more statements were made by members of the Russian Duma and other Russian civilians.  The major takeaway in each case is that Russia will take countermeasures in her time, in her way, and just exactly as she decides.   It is clear that this event is a true casus belli, an ‘occasion for war’.  It is also clear that Russia is being provoked.  Russia will not act into the provocation, but will apportion out true punishment possibly bit by bit or with big action.  We just don’t know.

As far as I can determine, Zelenski has not gone back to Ukraine yet and is still begging in Europe, while his wife is on a begging trip to the UK.  Will they go back?  Or will they hide in friendly jurisdictions?  And the Westerners have never been so innocent.  From the US in the name of John Kirby, they know nothing.  They’ve never known so little and they are as innocent as lambs.  I am impressed with this level of innocence.  They sound like kids that stole the cookies and stand there big eyed (check our Kirby) telling their parents they never took even one cookie!  They have to be in such a state of hysterical fear because their Ukraine caper will look worse than the Afghanistan debacle.

Will the Victory Day parades be subdued?  Yes, as terrorist attacks such as this always make people nervous and for that, it is devastatingly effective. The Western press has a coordinated media blitz going, announcing with glee that “Russian regions scrap Victory Day parades amid fear of Ukraine strikes”.  Here is one:   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/02/russian-regions-scrap-victory-day-parades-amid-fear-of-ukraine-strikes

On the other hand, Ukraine shoots down its own Bayraktar TB-2 drone and the reporters on the SMO are counting every single attack, every single movement and every single Russian inch forward and every single destruction of Ukrainian forces. I’ll make a call and I may be wrong or I may be right. I think we will see more and more Ukrainian command posts, decision centers and special operations centers obliterated and the SMO will heat up, almost imperceptibly.