Ukraine Denies Alleged Drone Attack on Putin’s Residence

Ukraine has categorically denied allegations that it carried out a drone attack on one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official residences, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accusing Moscow of spreading false narratives to derail ongoing peace efforts.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that 91 long-range Ukrainian drones targeted Putin’s residence overnight on Sunday (December 28). According to Lavrov, the residence is located in Russia’s northwestern Novgorod region. The British broadcaster BBC reported the claim.
Following the allegation, Russia signaled that it may reconsider its position in ongoing peace negotiations, although Moscow did not confirm whether Putin was present at the residence during the alleged attack.
Lavrov stated that while no casualties or damage were reported, Russia is preparing a retaliatory response. He described the alleged attack as an act of “state terrorism” by Kyiv and said Moscow would reassess its negotiation stance, though he emphasized that Russia would not withdraw from talks with the United States.
Zelenskyy dismissed the accusation as part of Russia’s “habitual deception.” He said the Kremlin is fabricating such stories to justify continued attacks on Ukraine. He reminded the international community that Russia itself has previously targeted government buildings in Kyiv.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Zelenskyy warned that global silence at this moment would be dangerous and said Russia must not be allowed to undermine efforts toward a lasting peace.
In a statement published on Telegram, Lavrov claimed that all 91 drones were intercepted by Russia’s air defense systems and reiterated that there were no injuries or material losses.
The allegations surfaced shortly after a high-level meeting in Florida between the United States and Ukraine, where President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy discussed a revised peace plan aimed at ending the war.
Following the meeting, Zelenskyy told Fox News that there is a possibility the war could end by 2026, but stressed that Ukraine cannot win without continued U.S. support. He said Trump’s signals regarding sanctions and economic pressure suggest a willingness to take tough decisions to push the situation toward peace.
Zelenskyy added that he sees no genuine signs that Putin wants peace and stated bluntly that he does not trust the Russian president.
According to Zelenskyy, the United States has proposed 15 years of security guarantees, and Trump indicated that the agreement is 95 percent complete. However, major issues remain unresolved, including territorial disputes and the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under Russian control. There has also been little progress regarding the Donbas region, which Russia seeks to fully occupy.
At present, Russia controls approximately 75 percent of Donetsk and 99 percent of neighboring Luhansk, together known as the Donbas region. Moscow had earlier rejected several key elements of the proposed peace framework.
Meanwhile, the White House said that following the U.S.-Ukraine meeting, President Trump held a positive phone conversation with Putin. Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told journalists that Putin informed Trump about the alleged drone attack, noting that it occurred immediately after what Washington had described as successful talks.
Ushakov said Trump was surprised and angered by the information, reportedly stating that he found such actions hard to believe and that the incident would inevitably affect U.S. dealings with Zelenskyy.
Later, Trump initially said he was unaware of the incident, but later confirmed that Putin had informed him and said he was “very angry” about it. Asked whether the United States had seen any evidence supporting Russia’s claim, Trump said, “We will look into it. It’s possible the attack never happened. But President Putin told me this morning that it did.”