Ukraine Denies Alleged Drone Attack on Putin’s Residence; Kyiv Calls Russian Claims Fabricated to Derail Peace Talks

Moscow / Kyiv — Ukraine has firmly denied Russian accusations that it launched a drone attack on one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official residences, calling the allegations baseless and fabricated amid sensitive peace negotiations. 

The Kremlin claimed on December 29, 2025, that Ukrainian forces attempted to strike a residence in Russia’s Novgorod region using as many as 91 long-range drones — all intercepted by Russian air defenses, with no casualties or damage reported. Russian officials insist the incident will prompt a reassessment of Moscow’s negotiating stance on ending the war.

However, Kyiv swiftly rejected the accusation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the claim a “complete fabrication” designed to undermine ongoing peace efforts and justify future Russian military operations. Zelenskyy told reporters that Ukraine does not target the Russian president’s residences and stressed Kyiv’s commitment to diplomacy.

The timing of the accusation — coming amid U.S.-brokered peace talks involving Zelenskyy and former U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida — has led Ukrainian officials to suggest Moscow may be seeking a pretext to derail progress on a negotiated end to hostilities.

Ukrainian representatives pointed out that Russia provided no independent evidence for the alleged attack, and the Russian narrative has been widely dismissed by Western analysts and Ukrainian statements as “typical Russian lies.” 

The dispute over the purported drone strike highlights the ongoing information and diplomatic battlefront that parallels kinetic fighting on the ground. With peace negotiations showing signs of movement, accusations and counter-accusations between Moscow and Kyiv continue to complicate efforts toward a lasting ceasefire.