MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia was doing everything necessary to ensure the security of upcoming events to mark the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies in World War Two after a series of attempted Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow.
The centrepiece of the commemorations – a military parade on Moscow’s Red Square – is due to be held on Friday and the Kremlin has said it is expecting 29 world leaders to attend, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin said earlier on Wednesday that Russian air defence forces had downed 14 Ukrainian drones overnight, as Kyiv targeted the Russian capital for the third consecutive day.
The drones forced most of the Russian capital’s airports to close hours before China’s Xi was due to fly in for a visit that Kyiv has made clear it opposes.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “The Kyiv regime continues to demonstrate its essence, its propensity for terrorist acts.”
Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday that Russia had launched its own air attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight, killing a mother and her son in the capital.
Peskov said Russia was doing all it could to ensure the security of the commemorative events.
“All necessary measures are being taken by our intelligence services and our military to ensure that the celebration of the Great Victory is held in a calm, stable and peaceful environment,” he said.
Asked how Russia would respond to the attempted drone strikes, Peskov said that a Russian proposal for a three-day ceasefire with Ukraine around the celebrations was still in force.
The Kremlin has said it will abide by the ceasefire itself, but respond if Ukraine attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called the proposed ceasefire pointless, and instead offered an unconditional ceasefire over at least 30 days in line with a U.S. proposal launched in March.
(Reporting by Reuters, Writing by Felix LightEditing by Andrew Osborn and William Maclean)
