Mystery shrouds a late-night rush to Kremlin by Russian President Vladimir Putin amid suspicion that he had prepared a new televised statement on the war with Ukraine. A new video has emerged that shows Putin's convoy in a late-night dash to Kremlin on Saturday night. Also, reports are that he hasn't returned yet.
Several reports are doing the round amid growing tensions with the West. It is also being said that Putin is holding an emergency meeting and is furious at the West for supporting Ukraine. However, according to a DailyMail report, his spokesperson has denied that Putin was to make an immediate emergency statement.
Putin Rushes to Kremlin
The video shows Putin's Aurus limousine making a late-night sprint to his Moscow office of power at 11:00 pm on Saturday. His unexplained and sudden rush to the Kremlin came right after meetings with Alexander Lukashenko, the dictator of Belarus, in St. Petersburg, which is 440 miles away.
During those meetings, Putin committed to supplying Lukashenko with modern nuclear weapons, raising fears among West allies of a possible World War 3. Tensions grew further as the meeting was followed by a night of Russian warplanes entering Belarusian airspace to pound Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv.
Putin promised to provide Minsk with nuclear-capable missile systems during his discussion with Lukashenko. The Iskander missiles have a short-range nuclear capability with a range of up to 310 miles, putting Berlin and a significant portion of eastern Europe within striking reach of the bombs in a matter of minutes.
"In the coming months, we will transfer to Belarus Iskander-M tactical missile systems, which can use ballistic or cruise missiles, in their conventional and nuclear versions," Putin said in a broadcast on Russian television at the start of his meeting with Lukashenko in St Petersburg.
Despite not denying the late-night dash to the Kremlin, Putin's spokesman ruled out that it was for a crisis meeting of key officials. Additionally, he disputed Putin's plan to issue an urgent statement.
"No. Everything is not like that. Everything is normal," Peskov said. However, he remained tightlipped about Putin's sudden Rush to Kremlin.
What Are Putin's Plans
However, this is not the first time that Putin has rushed to the Kremlin late at night. In fact, most of his announcements including the declaration of war on Ukraine came in a midnight televised statement. Hence, his sudden dash to Kremlin on Saturday has raised additional concerns.
Important speeches made by the Russian president in the Kremlin have before been videotaped and then disseminated. One theory is that he may have come to announce an intensification of hostilities, which would have been the reason for his visit.
It is widely believed that his late-night address, which signaled the beginning of his "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, was pre-recorded.
Putin doesn't live in the Kremlin; instead, he has an official residence outside of the city, and during the summer, he typically stays in Sochi on the Black Sea. As a result, Peskov was forced to respond when he saw his entourage enter the Kremlin late on a Saturday night. This unusual sight quickly sparked reports on social media.
Ukraine official Anton Gerashchenko voiced concern that the visit implied a fresh stance from Putin on the conflict. "Late at night on Saturday Putin suddenly drove into the Kremlin," he said.
Only a few hours after making a hasty run for the Kremlin, Putin launched his first strike on Kyiv in weeks, firing fourteen missiles from aircraft flying across Belarusian territory at the city and its environs.
Prior to the early Sunday morning attacks—the first since June 5—Kyiv has had three weeks of comparatively calmness and quiet during the war. Numerous injuries were reported.
