NewsTracker Answers for week of May 08, 2023

Q: Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. officials traded accusations of lying after an alleged drone attack ended in two explosions last week over Moscow’s Kremlin. Where is Moscow on this map of European capitals?

Circle the area on this map


Q: The United States denied Russian claims that it conspired with Ukraine in trying to kill President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. Ukrainian officials in Kyiv claimed the Russians staged the blasts. Which city is older?

A. Kyiv

B. Moscow


A. Archaeological evidence indicates Kyiv was founded during the sixth or seventh centuries. Slavic settlement around Moscow did not start until the tenth century. Moscow now is the most populous city entirely in Europe with about 13 million people. Kyiv had nearly 3 million people before Russia’s invasion last year.


Q: Moscow officials said two drones were shot down over the Kremlin. What is a kremlin?

A. Fortress

B. Palace

C. Parliament

D. Shrine


A. The Russian word kremlin means "fortress inside a city." The Moscow Kremlin includes five palaces, four cathedrals enclosed by the Kremlin Wall, “Kremlin” also is used to refer to the Russian government. Its Grand Palace once was the residence of the emperors and is now the official residence of the president.


Q: Kyiv was a capital that once ruled over Moscow, and Moscow later ruled over Kyiv. Which city was a capital that once ruled over both?

A. Constantinople

B. Saint Petersburg

C. Stalingrad

D. Warsaw


B. Saint Peterburg was the capital of Russian Empire from 1721 to 1918. During that time, most of Ukraine, including Kyiv, was annexed by Russia. After the Russian Revolution established the Soviet Union, Moscow regained its status as a capital. With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine became independent with Kyiv as its capital.


Q: Russians claimed the drones over Mosow targeted Putin. When Russia first invaded Ukraine in February 2023, its top target reportedly was Ukraine’s president and his family in Kyiv. Who is the president of Ukraine?

A. Alexander Lukashenko

B. Ramzan Kadyrov

C. Victor Orban

D. Volodymyr Zelensky


D. Zelensky said Russian agents attacked the presidential quarters duing the first hours of the Feb. 24 invasion. Russian forces failed to take Kyiv and were driven back, suffering heavy losses. Zelensky refused offers to be evacuated from Ukraine and has led a fierce resistance to Russia ever since.