Russian Official Claims Thwarted Ukrainian Plot to Assassinate Putin with Drone Would Have Triggered Nuclear WWIII

The US reportedly halted a suspected Ukrainian assassination plot against Vladimir Putin, according to Moscow.

Russian intelligence claims to have uncovered a covert operation by Kyiv to target the Russian leader with a kamikaze drone during the Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg on July 28.

Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister, described the alleged plot as "madness" on Russian state TV Rossiya 1, warning that such an attack would plunge the world into chaos and potentially trigger a nuclear World War III, The Sun reported.

The parade, attended by Putin, 71, and his defense minister Andrei Belousov, 65, went off without incident.

Despite the absence of public evidence, respected Russian editor Alexei Venediktov confirmed concerns over the alleged plot. Just weeks before the event, Belousov reportedly took the intelligence to the US, engaging in a tough conversation with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, as claimed by TV propagandist Olga Skabeev.

Russian media suggest the Kremlin believed the US had prior knowledge of the plot and might have been involved. However, Pentagon officials denied any involvement or knowledge of the plan. Ryabkov remains adamant that US communication with Ukraine thwarted the attack.

The Navy Day parade proceeded without any incidents. Ryabkov told the media, “We avoided a new escalation cycle. But that specific episode is very troubling. It was planned [by Ukraine] to cause maximum damage and achieve the maximum media effect they needed.”

The exact details of the alleged plan remain undisclosed. One theory from Russian Telegram channel Win/Win suggests an attack might have involved launching kamikaze sea drones from a neutral ship in the Baltic. Military expert Dmitry Kornev proposed a combined attack from both sea and air as the most dangerous scenario.

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Putin, reportedly wearing bulletproof vests at public appearances since at least 2023, is said to live in constant fear of assassination. According to a former guard, Vitaly Brizhatiy, Putin doesn't trust his own staff and is perpetually concerned for his safety.

Amid these tensions, footage from earlier this year showed a bodyguard with an armored shield ready to protect Putin during a public address, highlighting the Russian leader's ongoing security concerns.