US denies claims on role in Kremlin drone attack, says Russia is lying

The US has denied Russia's claims that the Washington had a role in the alleged drone attack on the Kremlin.

A day after accusing Ukraine of carrying out the alleged attack aimed at assassinating President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was done with Washington's support.

Peskov said on Thursday that the US was "undoubtedly" behind the alleged attack, without providing evidence. "Decisions on such attacks are not made in Kiev, but in Washington," Peskov was quoted as saying by BBC.

Responding to Russian claims, US National Security spokesman John Kirby said: "Peskov is just lying there, pure and simple."

"The United States has nothing to do with it. We don't even know exactly what happened here, but I can assure you the United States had no role in it whatsoever."

The US official said Washington did not encourage or enable Ukraine to strike outside its borders, and did not endorse attacks on individual leaders.

Ukraine has said that the alleged attack was a false flag operation by Moscow, the British news broadcaster reported.

The alleged attack on the Kremlin occurred early on Wednesday. Footage on social media showed smoke rising over the government complex in central Moscow.

Later in the evening, the Kremlin press service claimed that Ukrainian drones had "attempted to strike" at the residence of Putin.

The Kremlin called the so-called attack a "planned terrorist action" and an "assassination attempt on the Russian President".

In response, Serhii Nykyforov, spokesman for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said that Ukraine had no information about the attack on the Kremlin.

"What happened in Moscow was clearly a Russian escalation of the situation," he added.

Zelensky too denied that his country carried out an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin.

--IANS

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