May 4, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news

The United States still does not have information needed to provide an assessment on this week's alleged drone attack on the Kremlin, according to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.

In an exchange with Sen. Tom Cotton at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Haines confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not “spend the night at the Kremlin all that much” and that Ukraine denied the attack, whereas in past attacks against Russia, Ukraine has been “ambiguous or silent about responsibility for the attacks.”

“Perhaps some grounds to think that maybe these claims are exaggerated,” Cotton said.

Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier said Russia’s claim that Ukraine tried to assassinate Putin with American assistance was likely “misinformation.”

Some background: CNN analysis of videos showing the incident support the Kremlin’s claim that two drones were flown above the government compound early Wednesday, but did not show evidence it was a Ukrainian attack.

Ukraine has flatly denied any involvement, saying it only strikes within its own territory and is not launching attacks in Russia. The White House has called the Kremlin's accusation that it was involved in an attempt on Putin's life "ridiculous."

Russia will likely not be able to mount a “significant offensive operation this year” due to munitions and manpower shortages — whether or not the Ukrainian counteroffensive is successful, according to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.

Putin “probably” has scaled back his near-term ambitions in Ukraine to consider a victory “to consolidate control of the occupied territory in eastern and southern Ukraine, and ensuring that Ukraine will never become a NATO ally,” Haines added.

Despite this assessment, Haines said it wasn't very likely that Russia negotiates a pause this year unless political factors "alter his thinking."

Haines also noted that Russian forces are preparing “new defensive positions” for the Ukrainian counteroffensive, and have “gained less territory in April than during any of the three previous months.”

Here's where the state of Russian control in Ukrainian territory stands:

There is a “persistent and significant risk” that Russia could target critical allied infrastructure, including undersea internet cables, as part of its war on Ukraine, David Cattler, NATO’s assistant secretary general for intelligence and security, said.

According to Cattler, more than 95% of international internet traffic is transmitted through roughly 400 undersea cables. These cables “carry an estimated 10 trillion US dollars worth of financial transactions every day,” he said, adding that they are an “economic linchpin.”

While Russia is “actively mapping” this infrastructure, Cattler said, “China is another significant actor on the seabed.” Beijing, Cattler added, is working towards developing its own undersea infrastructure rather than “extensively testing the vulnerabilities of other nations’.”

NATO allies are monitoring the situation closely, Cattler stated. “This is really a holistic, multi-spectrum, multi-domain threat set when it comes to critical infrastructure. Cooperation between the private sector and NATO and allied governance is really crucial in order to have a clear threat picture," he said.

A Pentagon spokesperson denied US involvement in the purported drone attack on the Kremlin and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson of lying. 

The White House still has no indication who was behind the drone attack and said the White House does not "endorse, we do not encourage, we do not support attacks on individual leaders," Kirby added. 

Russia has accused Washington of being behind what it says was a drone attack on the Kremlin and an assassination attempt against Putin, the latest in a series of extraordinary allegations over Wednesday's incident.

“We are well aware that decisions on such actions and such terrorist attacks are not made in Kyiv, but in Washington. And Kyiv is already executing what it is told to do," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, without providing any evidence.

Belgium is preparing a new package of military aid for Ukraine as Russia's war continues, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Thursday.

“As we know, in these military aid packages, there are often practical obstacles. But I can tell you that there is not a single doubt in any of the Belgian hearts and minds that we need to continue to support Ukraine,” De Croo told a news conference in The Hague alongside Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. 

De Croo also said Belgium was examining how seized Russian assets could be “fully” used to support Ukraine’s war effort, as well as to aid the reconstruction of the war-torn country. 

Meanwhile, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Thursday that while there were “no taboos” when it came to military support for Ukraine, the question of whether NATO would supply Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets remained unresolved. “We are not there yet,” he added. 

Remember: Ukraine has been lobbying for US-made fighter jets for several months, with officials arguing they are needed to defend against Russian missile and drone attacks. 

Ukraine's message is that it will be a NATO member after the war has ended, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.

Zelensky said that while Ukraine has received "some positive messages" from countries who support it, "we need something more."

"I think that our friends will support us and see us in NATO," the Ukrainian president added.

Remember: Part of Russia’s premise for its invasion of Ukraine was to fend off NATO from expanding close to its borders. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said, “Ukraine’s future is in NATO.” Even though Ukraine is not a member of the alliance, and NATO has insisted that it is not a party to the conflict, the bloc has played a critical role in supporting Kyiv, donating billions in military aid and other support.

At the news conference, Zelensky also appealed for its allies to deliver their promised weapons to Kyiv as quickly as possible. "The most important thing now is to deliver what was promised to our soldiers as quickly as possible."

The US and Ukraine have vehemently denied Moscow's unsubstantiated claims that both parties led an alleged drone strike targeting the Kremlin and assassination attempt on President Vladimir Putin, the latest in a series of heated exchanges between Ukraine and its Western allies and Russia over the incident on Wednesday.

Here are the latest developments:

Ukrainian air defenses withstood Russia's most intense wave of air attacks on Kyiv since the start of the year overnight into Thursday, the capital region's military chief said.

All Russian missiles and drones "were destroyed in Kyiv airspace by our air defense forces," Popko said after Moscow's forces attacked the city with "Shahed-type barrage munitions and missiles, presumably ballistic."

There were no civilian casualties or damage to residential buildings and infrastructure, he added.

Blasts heard: Explosions were heard in Kyiv and Odesa early Thursday morning, according to Ukrainian parliament member Oleksii Honcharenko.

Kyiv’s regional military administration said air defenses were activated in Kyiv, and a map by Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation showed air alerts were sounded in most of the eastern half of the country.

John Kirby, the National Security Council’s Coordinator for Strategic Communications, called accusations from Russia that the US directed Ukraine to carry out an alleged Kremlin drone attack and assassination attempt on President Vladimir Putin "ridiculous."

His remarks came after Moscow spokesperson Dmitry Peskov alleged without any evidence that the US was behind the purported drone attack, and suggested the Ukrainian government was implementing decisions made in Washington.

“We are well aware that decisions on such actions and such terrorist attacks are not made in Kyiv, but in Washington. And Kyiv is already executing what it is told to do,” Peskov said on Thursday. “Such attempts to disown this both in Kyiv and in Washington are, of course, absolutely ridiculous.”

Ukraine vehemently denied responsibility for the alleged incident on Wednesday, as a series of extraordinary allegations from Moscow inflamed tensions between the two sides even further.