UN speaks out over drone attack on Moscow.

The Kyiv Independent reported on May 31st that Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, condemned all attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. This statement came after the Russian Ministry of Defense accused the Ukrainian military of using eight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to attack Moscow in the early hours of May 30th.

"Of course, we condemn all attacks on civilians and civilian structures anywhere. But I think it's important to point out that there is no comparison between the recent attacks in Moscow and the large-scale assaults we continue to see in Ukrainian cities," he said at a press conference.

Experts inspect an apartment building in Moscow damaged in the attack on May 30.

Russian accusations

Russia said it shot down five drones and diverted three others from their targets in an attack that injured two people. Also that morning, Russia attacked Kyiv with drones in its 17th attack this month, killing one person and injuring 13, according to Ukrainian officials.

Quick overview: What are the latest developments in Russia's military operation in Ukraine on day 461?

RT reported on May 31st that Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said Washington's statements following the drone attack on Moscow "sound like encouragement to the Ukrainians." He criticized: "Nobody believes the American slogans about not supporting Ukraine's attacks on Russian territory." According to the diplomat , the goal of the drone attack was to "sow fear among Russians" and undermine confidence in the government.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the attack as an act of terrorism, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized Western claims that weapons sent to Ukraine were not used to attack Russian territory as "a lie," according to TASS.

In a move targeting Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that its military conducted raids on "decision-making centers related to terrorist attack plots," and claimed that "terrorist activities were carried out under the direct guidance of unidentified Western intelligence agencies." According to RT, President Putin stated that Russia attacked the headquarters of Ukraine's main defense intelligence agency. Kyiv has not commented on this information.

President Putin said Ukraine launched drone attacks on Moscow because Russia attacked Kyiv's defense intelligence headquarters.

In another development, the Russian Interior Ministry has issued arrest warrants for the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army, Oleksandr Syrskyi. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar rejected the warrants, calling them a failed attempt by Moscow to exert psychological pressure.

The US and Ukraine reject the claim.

According to Reuters, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, asserted that Kyiv had "no direct involvement" in the drone attack on Moscow. On the US side, a National Security Council spokesperson commented on CNN that "in general, we do not support attacks inside Russia." A State Department spokesperson also affirmed this position.

France wants Europe to have a "strategic awakening".

The Guardian reported on May 31st that French President Emmanuel Macron wants to boost diplomacy and reassure Central and Eastern European countries that Paris understands the changing security environment in the region following the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine. The leader wants to call for a "strategic awakening," while emphasizing France's efforts to protect NATO's eastern flank, including deploying 1,250 troops to Romania and 300 to Estonia, as well as paving the way for the supply of battle tanks to Ukraine. He is expected to pledge to Kyiv's victory and not accept a "frozen conflict" in Ukraine. Furthermore, President Macron believes Europe needs to take more action to support ammunition production capabilities and strengthen defense partnerships among member states.

"We have focused on providing the necessary equipment and training for Ukraine to regain its territorial sovereignty," the spokesperson said. The U.S. government said it was gathering relevant information, and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefly stated that "we do not support attacks inside Russia."

Why hasn't Ukraine's counterattack begun yet?

Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that Ukraine "has the legitimate right to defend itself within its borders, but also the right to withdraw forces from its borders to undermine Russia's ability to deploy forces into Ukraine." Responding to this statement, according to Reuters, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said that any British official promoting hostilities in Ukraine could be considered a legitimate military target.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/lhq-len-tieng-vu-uav-tan-cong-moscow-185230601014848843.htm