EU Envoy Dismisses Moscow’s ‘Ukrainian Drone’ Claim as Washington Clears Kyiv of Kremlin Strike

Brussels Rebuffs Russian Accusations

BRUSSELS—The European Union’s chief diplomat on Wednesday bluntly rejected Moscow’s assertion that Kyiv orchestrated a wave of drone strikes against Russian government websites and the Kremlin itself, calling the claim “a textbook disinformation operation designed to justify escalation.”

Speaking after emergency talks with EU defense ministers, High Representative Josep Borrell told reporters: “We have seen zero credible evidence that Ukrainian forces targeted civilian infrastructure inside Russia. What we do see is a pattern of Russian fabrications used to mask their own battlefield failures.”

US Intelligence: No Ukrainian Hand in Alleged Putin Assassination Drone

Hours earlier, Washington delivered its own verdict. Citing declassified intelligence, a senior Biden-administration official said U.S. analysts “found no indication that Ukraine was involved in the May 3 drone incident over the Kremlin.” The official, who briefed journalists on condition of anonymity, added that the small UAV “likely originated from within Russia and was meant for domestic propaganda consumption.”

“The idea that Ukraine would waste scarce precision assets on a symbolic target rather than defending Bakhmut simply doesn’t pass the logic test,” the official said.

The twin statements mark a rare moment of trans-Atlantic clarity after days of feverish speculation on Russian state television, where anchors demanded “decisive retaliation” against Kyiv.

Kremlin Doubles Down

Despite the pushback, the Kremlin remained defiant. President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, repeated Moscow’s line that “the Kyiv regime is resorting to terrorist methods,” and vowed an “inevitable response.” Russian authorities have already used the alleged drone attack to justify missile barrages against Ukrainian cities, including a 24-hour period that saw 40 Iranian-made Shahed drones slam into Kyiv and Odesa.

On the Ground: Ukrainians Brace for More Strikes

In Kyiv, residents say the latest rhetoric feels like a prelude to another winter of blackouts.

• “Every time Russia claims we hit them, our power grids get pummeled the next night,” said Iryna Kovalenko, a 42-year-old accountant queuing for bottled water after a fresh wave of strikes.
• Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned that 40 % of the city’s energy infrastructure is already “patched together with spit and tape.”

Western analysts fear Moscow is preparing a hybrid campaign blending cyber-sabotage with physical attacks on energy hubs as temperatures drop.

What Happens Next?

EU foreign ministers agreed to fast-track a €1-billion ammunition package for Ukraine and to explore using frozen Russian central-bank assets to fund reconstruction—ideas certain to provoke fresh threats from the Kremlin. Meanwhile, diplomats in Washington say the Pentagon is finalizing plans to send Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB) that could double Ukraine’s strike range without provoking the escalation risk of ATACMS.

For now, the information war rages as fiercely as the artillery duels along the Donetsk front. And as each side weaponizes headlines, civilians from Kharkiv to Krasnodar are left parsing fact from fable—often with their lights off.