Assassination Attempt Against Putin Fails, Western-Made Explosive Found Near Moscow: Report

A crashed aircraft that was recovered outside of Moscow was intended to kill Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a shock report published by German news organization Bild . The aerial assassination plan by the Ukranian secret service involved an explosive-laden kamikaze drone that crashed near the Rudnevo Industrial Park on Sunday -- which the dictatorial leader was reportedly eyeing for a visit. Russian security services have sought to conceal evidence of the failed assassination plot, according to The Daily Beast . A Ukrainian activist made the claim that the drone was intended to strike the vicinity of Putin himself. “Last week, our intelligence officers received information about Putin’s trip to the industrial park in Rudnevo," Yuriy Romanenko said of the operation, according to the Beast. "Accordingly, our guys launched a kamikaze drone that flew through all the air defenses of the Russian Federation and fell not far from the industrial park." The craft was carrying '30 C4 explosive blocks with a total weight of 17 kilograms [more than 37 pounds] on board the drone," Bild reported, adding that those M112 type explosives are commonly used by U.S. and Canadian armed forces, "among others." Purported images of the assassination craft surfaced after the alleged plot, with Russian state media denying that the aircraft penetrated Russian territory. Ukraine 'tried to ASSASSINATE Putin using drone loaded with explosives https://t.co/NI4qD40sSi pic.twitter.com/gFQ9NY7ivy

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) April 28, 2023 The details of the alleged assassination plot -- such as its proximity to Putin himself -- haven't been independently verified. Pro-Russian social media users indicated that a blast destroyed buildings in the vicinity of the industrial park -- although they didn't identify a drone as the source of the explosion. The Ukrainian military has shown occasional willingness to strike the territory of Russia -- a tactic that Ukraine's Western allies have discouraged, according to Politico . The days preceding the Moscow blast also featured explosions in the Russian city of St. Petersburg and the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Melitopol. Russian occupation authorities in the latter described the blast as a Ukrainian "terrorist attack," according to the Daily Beast. Putin's war has ground into a bloody stalemate, with the militaries of Russia and Ukraine both bitterly contesting cities in the latter's Donetsk region. Both sides have suffered heavy casualties, with reliable counts disputed. Ukraine is reportedly planning a spring offensive aimed at regaining territory in the country's south seized by Russia in the initial months of the invasion.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .