The Kremlin said an alleged Ukrainian drone strike near President Vladimir Putin’s residence has prompted a reassessment of negotiations, while Kyiv dismissed the accusation as fabricated even as both sides acknowledged peace talks are nearing a critical stage.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Russian officials claimed Monday that Ukrainian forces attempted a large-scale drone attack targeting a residence used by President Vladimir Putin in the Novgorod region, an allegation that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy forcefully rejected as false and destabilizing amid ongoing peace negotiations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine launched 91 drones overnight toward the Novgorod area, where one of Putin’s residences is believed to be located, according to remarks he told the state-run news agency TASS. Lavrov said all of the drones were intercepted and destroyed, and there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Russian officials did not say whether Putin was present at the residence at the time.
Lavrov said the alleged incident would force Moscow to reassess its position in talks aimed at ending Russia’s nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine, signaling potential consequences for the diplomatic track.
Ukrainian officials swiftly denied the claim. Zelenskyy accused Moscow of inventing the story to justify further military action and to undermine diplomatic momentum following his meeting Sunday with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
“Russia is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump’s team,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “We keep working together to bring peace closer.”
“This alleged ‘residence strike’ story is a complete fabrication intended to justify additional attacks against Ukraine, including Kyiv, as well as Russia’s own refusal to take necessary steps to end the war,” he continued.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine “does not take steps that can undermine diplomacy,” adding, “To the contrary, Russia always takes such steps. This is one of many differences between us.” He urged the international community to speak out against what he described as “typical Russian lies,” warning that silence would allow Moscow to derail efforts toward a lasting settlement.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump spoke with Putin for the second time in as many days, though she did not confirm whether the alleged Novgorod incident was discussed during those calls.
Novgorod, located in northwestern Russia between Moscow and St. Petersburg, is not commonly identified in public as hosting a presidential residence. The number and locations of Putin’s official and unofficial properties are closely guarded. In 2012, Russian opposition figures published a report alleging that Putin controlled numerous palaces and villas, many constructed after he assumed office. One of the report’s co-authors, former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, was assassinated in Moscow in 2015.
The allegations surfaced the same day Russian officials publicly aligned with Trump’s assessment that a peace agreement is close. Earlier Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow agrees with Trump’s view that negotiations have entered their “final stage,” according to a statement amplified by Russian state media and shared publicly by RT.
The juxtaposition of the drone claim and the Kremlin’s acknowledgment of progress underscored the fragile state of diplomacy, as both sides accused the other of actions that could derail talks even while publicly signaling that a deal may be near.
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