A drone loaded with explosives has crashed east of Moscow, according to Russian reports. It was supposedly aimed at Vladimir Putin.
An assassination attempt is said to have been made on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian activist Yuriy Romanenko wrote on Twitter that a Ukrainian drone was on its way to an industrial park the Kremlin chief allegedly planned to visit on Sunday. Apparently it had been planned to crash a drone filled with 17 kilograms of explosives onto the building.
“Last week our intelligence officers received information about Putin’s trip to the industrial park in Rudnevo. I even managed to get a map of the trip through the park,” Romaneko wrote. The plant is located about 17 kilometers east of Moscow. “Putin, we are getting closer,” Romaneko continued.
Ukrainian UJ-22 model?
The drone is said to be three meters long and weighed 85 kilograms and fell from the sky on Sunday. Ukraine’s UJ-22 models have a range of up to 800 kilometers and could theoretically fly from Ukraine to Moscow.
According to the Russian news portal Mash, villagers found the remains of the drone. Several blocks of C4 plastic explosives were discovered in it. Another drone was found two kilometers away, a small quadrocopter equipped with a camera. However, these models have a much shorter range than the UJ-22 models.
Russian telegram channels also read on Sunday that Putin wanted to visit an industrial park near Moscow. Apparently, preparations had also been made in the plant itself, announcing a high-ranking visit. Pictures of green sprayed lawns are said to have been shared on social networks.
It is unclear why the drone crashed
According to the “Bild” newspaper, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Putin was in the Kremlin and was not planning any major public events. The President’s travel plans are kept secret. When he leaves the Kremlin, pictures are usually only shown once Putin has arrived at his destination. Again and again there are rumors that Putin uses doubles for such visits.
It is unclear why the drone crashed and who started it. Apparently there was no evidence of a shooting down. The fact that she was able to fly far beyond Moscow should cause a stir. “Considering how obsessed Putin is with his own security, this story could have tremendous implications for the Kremlin,” Romanenko wrote.
