"On behalf of Chairman of Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin, a criminal case was initiated under article 205 of the Russian criminal code (terrorist act) in connection with an attempt by the Kiev regime to strike with unmanned aerial vehicles at the Kremlin residence of the Russia president," the committee wrote on its Telegram channel.
Officials have detailed that the attack was carried out early Wednesday, and that the two unmanned Ukrainian drones were downed after being spotted by Russian security personnel. The incident did not result in any injuries or structural damages; however, early unconfirmed footage from the scene captured smoke rising from the vicinity.
The Russian press service has since confirmed that Putin was not on the grounds at the time the foiled attack was conducted. In the immediate aftermath, the Moscow mayor implemented a ban on unmanned aerial vehicles in the capital city with the exception of drones "used by decision of state authorities."
As Russian lawmakers have since called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to be officially designated a terrorist, the Ukrainian leader has claimed that his government was by no means responsible for the strike.
Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak later alleged - despite past attacks on Russian infrastructure - that Kiev "wages an exclusively defensive war and does not attack targets on the territory of the Russian Federation."
Alexander Mikhailov, who serves as the head of the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis, earlier told Sputnik, preliminary findings suggest the incident is part of a PR stunt by Ukraine.
"They are trying to show the collective West that this counteroffensive, funded by the West, is underway. It's just a multi-layered one," he said. "One of its stages is an attack on the Kremlin. But we are well aware that from a military point of view, everyone is safe and sound and no damage has been inflicted. And all this [fuss] is just a propaganda stunt."
Mikhailov further relayed that it's likely the US and its Western allies may opt for downplaying the drone attack, or turn away from the narrative completely. If so, the incident would become the latest event to be whitewashed following the earlier findings tying the US to the Nord Stream sabotage.