The US has accused Russia of “lying” after it claimed Washington was behind a drone attack on the Kremlin this week, raising tensions ahead of an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russian forces.
Russia also launched its own drones at Ukrainian cities overnight following the incident in Moscow in the early hours of Wednesday, which the Kremlin called a Ukrainian attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin.
Multiple explosions rocked Kyiv later on Thursday, with machine gun fire also heard, indicating Ukraine’s forces were firing skywards to intercept incoming drones. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.