MOSCOW, May 7 (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Thursday extra security measures were being put in place for Russian President Vladimir Putin in case of a Ukrainian attack on May 9 celebrations marking the anniversary of victory in World War Two.
“You know that on the eve of major holidays, and, of course, perhaps most importantly, Victory Day in our country, additional security measures are always taken by the relevant special services,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
He said this was required this year because of what he called the “terrorist threat” from Ukraine.
Asked whether Putin’s own security was being tightened for the same reason, Peskov replied: “Of course.”
PESKOV DISMISSES REPORTS OF COUP FEARS
However, he dismissed a report by CNN and other Western media earlier this week, citing an unnamed European intelligence agency, that said the Kremlin had sharply raised security around Putin because of fears of a coup or assassination attempt.
“I have one question for you. What is European intelligence? I’m not aware of the existence of such a thing,” Peskov said.
Moscow is on high alert for any attempt by Ukraine to disrupt events on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two. Putin will oversee a military parade on Moscow’s Red Square and usually delivers a speech.
In recent years he has used the occasion to rally Russians behind the war in Ukraine, portraying his modern-day soldiers as heroes following in the footsteps of those who defended the country in World War Two.
Russia announced last week that, for security reasons, the May 9 parade would take place this year in a slimmed-down form, without the usual display of weaponry such as tanks and missiles.
On Monday, a high-rise building in southwest Moscow was struck by a drone. On Thursday, Russia said its air defences had destroyed 32 drones heading towards the capital.
Russia has delivered repeated warnings that it will respond to any Ukrainian attacks during Saturday’s celebrations with a massive missile attack on the centre of Kyiv. It has announced a ceasefire for May 8 and 9.
The truce was not agreed with Kyiv, which declared a two-day ceasefire of its own that began at midnight from Tuesday into Wednesday.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this week that Russia had failed to respond to Kyiv’s longstanding calls for a permanent ceasefire, adding that “human life is incomparably more valuable than the ‘celebration’ of any anniversary”.
(Reporting by Reuters; writing by Mark Trevelyan; editing by Andrew Heavens)
