Such unity - potentially based on a combination of outrage, fear and patriotism - could prove handy at a time when Russia is bracing itself for a long-awaited Ukrainian counter-offensive that Kyiv hopes will see it retake swathes of its territory.Īfter Putin's office framed the drone incident as a Ukrainian attempt on the president's life - something Kyiv denies - politicians from across Russia's political spectrum called for revenge and for Moscow to prosecute what it calls its 'special military operation' in Ukraine in a much harsher way. It really is a patriotic mobilisation,' said Baunov. 'They are trying.to rally people around this (alleged) failed attack. 'It's an attempt to gather all the sacred things in one statement,' Alexander Baunov, a former Russian diplomat and Kremlin watcher, said of the Kremlin's response.Īccording to the Kremlin's version, the alleged attack had taken aim at Putin, the Russian flag on the top of the Kremlin senate building, and had cast a shadow over 'Victory Day,' Baunov told the 'Live Nail' YouTube channel.

Inside Russia, it helped reinforce the Kremlin-backed narrative that its war in Ukraine is an existential one for the Russian state and people, reports Reuters.Ĭoming in the run-up to its annual May 9 World War Two victory parade on Moscow's Red Square - a sacred event for many Russians - and at a time when Russia is reported by the West to be racking up further heavy casualties with scant territorial gain in Ukraine, some Kremlin watchers believe its spin doctors may be hoping for a rally-around-the-flag effect. The humiliating spectacle for Russia of two drones flying over the walls of the Kremlin, its historic seat of power, has spawned conflicting theories about who did it and why - but for Vladimir Putin the incident could yet prove useful politically.Īlthough the drones were destroyed before causing serious damage, the incident highlighted the apparent vulnerability of central Moscow to enemy drones, and prompted angry commentators to query the efficacy of Russia's air defences.

The cardinal of the kremlin review