WNAM MO NITORING: Russia claimed on Tuesday that an earlier Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow was “timed to coincide” with negotiations between Kyiv and Washington that are taking place in Saudi Arabia.
“There is no doubt that this drone raid was planned in advance and timed to coincide with the American-Ukrainian contacts on the topic of conflict resolution scheduled for today in Saudi Arabia,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said the attack was a signal to the new OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu, who had arrived in the Russian capital on an official visit, and meant to show Ukraine’s “ability to negotiate from a position of strength.”
The statement accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of losing “all touch with reality,” while also demonstrating a “complete lack of political will for peace and a diplomatic settlement of the conflict.”
It added that the blame for the attack lies with “all the countries that continue to stubbornly and irresponsibly pump” Ukraine’s government with arms.
Earlier, Russian authorities said at least three people were killed and 20 others injured in the drone attack on the Moscow region.
Later in the day, US and Ukrainian delegations began talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah to discuss prospects for a possible peace deal with Russia.
