Vladimir Putin had his life spared after the United States stopped Ukraine from pursuing an assassination plot to remove the Russian leader, according to Moscow.

Russian intelligence reportedly became aware of plans to eliminate Putin using a kamikaze drone during the Navy Day parade held in St Petersburg on July 28.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov exposed the conspiracy during an appearance on state TV, slamming the plan as “madness” and warning the removal of the Russian resident would only result in chaos.

Ryabkov argued the aftermath of Putin’s assassination would lead to an “uncontrollable conflict” between Russia and the US – with the potential of the clash escalating into World War 3.

Moscow claimed to have uncovered plans suggesting Putin and Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, who also attended the parade, were being directly targeted by assassins sent by Ukraine.

Details of the intelligence Russia claims to have collected in connection to the alleged assassination plot have yet to be publicly released.

Putin propagandist Olga Skaabeeva claimed the Russian Defence Minister shared the information with the US a few weeks before the parade.

He allegedly called his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, to have a “genuinely tough conversation” about the findings of Russian intelligence.

Skaabaeev added: “Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov called the Pentagon himself for the first time, and he said something that made US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin squirm.

“If Kyiv’s operation had happened, it would have guaranteed to plunge Russia and the USA into a phase of uncontrollable conflict.”

Russian media has claimed the US might have been aware of the plot before Russia brought it to the attention of the Pentagon and feared the US may have been directly involved – claims that the Pentagon has denied.

Despite the denial, Ryabkov maintained Washington communicated with Ukraine to order them to stand down and stop any planned attack.

He said: “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.

“We got past that specific episode, thank God, which means that the signal from our military leadership and the defence minister to his American counterpart apparently had an effect.”