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Russia’s defence ministry has released a video showing a damaged drone lying in snow, alleging that it was part of a carefully planned drone attack on President Vladimir Putin’s residence in north-west Russia. Moscow described the incident as a “targeted, carefully planned” operation carried out in stages, calling it both a terrorist attack and a personal attack on Putin.
Russian officials claimed the drone was part of a mass UAV launch aimed at Putin’s home. They stated that the residence was not damaged and did not reveal Putin’s whereabouts during the alleged strike. The ministry published the footage on Wednesday, asserting that Ukraine had launched the attack earlier this week.
Ukraine Denies Allegations
Ukraine has firmly denied the claims, calling them “a lie” and a “fabrication” intended to manipulate the peace process. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Russia’s claims as a “complete fabrication,” adding that his negotiating team had reviewed the details with international partners and concluded that the incident was staged. “Our team discussed this with the American side, checked the facts, and we understand that it’s fake,” Zelenskyy said.
EU Calls Claims Unfounded
The accusation emerged shortly after Zelenskyy held talks with US President Donald Trump in Florida. EU foreign affairs chief KajaKallas echoed Ukraine’s position, calling Russia’s claims “unfounded” and a “deliberate distraction” from real progress toward peace by Ukraine and its Western partners.
Ukraine’s Western allies have expressed skepticism over Moscow’s version of events, reinforcing calls for careful verification. Kyiv has urged international partners to independently confirm the claims. Zelenskyy added that he plans to meet allies in France on January 6 to push forward renewed peace efforts and strengthen diplomatic channels amid the ongoing war.