Kremlin drone attack: Vladimir Putin, a man with the blood of countless people on his hands, cannot complain if someone tried to kill him – Scotsman comment

Given the Kremlin’s penchant for disinformation, there is very little that can be said for certain about its claims to have foiled a Ukrainian assassination attempt on Vladimir Putin.

Responding to the allegation, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that he takes anything emanating from Moscow with “a very large shaker of salt” – and so should we all. The Russian presidency was suspiciously quick to apportion blame, insisting “the Kyiv regime” was responsible for what it called “a planned terrorist act and an assassination attempt on the president”. Russia "reserves the right to take retaliatory measures wherever and whenever is deemed necessary”, it added.

That last comment chimed grimly with a warning by Ukrainian officials, who denied their forces were involved, that it could be used to attempt to justify further horrors. Mikhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky, also suggested it might be the work of “local resistance forces” inside Russia, potentially a sign that domestic discontent with Putin has reached new heights.

All this is speculation. However, there is one thing that is absolutely certain. The apparent video footage of what looked like a drone exploding just over the Kremlin – deep-fake technology means we must be wary – is as of nothing compared to the wanton destruction of entire towns and cities in Ukraine on Putin’s orders.

This is a man responsible for the deaths of countless innocent people, a man who flings deadly missiles in a way that others hurl insults, complaining about a supposed threat to his own miserable, worthless life. There can be no pity for such a man. Slava Ukraini.