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Russia has again asserted that Ukraine carried out a drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences, despite failing to provide any evidence to support the claim and amid growing skepticism from Ukraine, Western governments, and independent analysts.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday, December 30, that dozens of drones targeted a presidential residence in the Novgorod region, south of St. Petersburg, dismissing denials as “insane assertions.” Russian officials have refused calls to present physical proof of the alleged attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Putin told him about the incident during a phone call early Monday. Trump initially indicated he accepted Putin’s account but later acknowledged that the attack may not have taken place. Trump has been pushing for renewed peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, though major differences remain between the two sides.
Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov described the alleged drone operation as a “terrorist attack” intended to sabotage Trump’s efforts to broker a peaceful settlement of the war in Ukraine. However, no corroborating evidence has emerged to support Russia’s version of events.
There were no reports from residents in the Novgorod region of drone activity at the time the attack was said to have occurred. The Valdai presidential residence, a heavily fortified complex on the shores of Lake Valdai, is located far from Ukraine’s border. Analysts also noted the absence of social media footage, which is typically widespread during major drone incidents in Russia.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the claim outright, calling it a complete fabrication. He accused Moscow of using provocative statements to undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said Russia had still not produced any credible evidence nearly a day after making the accusation. He insisted that no such attack had taken place.
Lithuania, a NATO member bordering northwestern Russia, described the allegation as a possible false-flag operation designed to justify further Russian strikes on Ukraine. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War also questioned the claim, citing the lack of air-defense footage, official regional reports, or eyewitness accounts.
Independent Russian outlet, Agentstvo reported that the head of the Valdai district made no mention of any attack during a live broadcast around the time the alleged incident occurred. The outlet also found no reports of drone activity on public social media channels in Valdai, a town about 20 kilometers from the presidential residence.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was the first to publicly raise the allegation, claiming that 91 drones were intercepted with no resulting damage. However, Russia’s Defense Ministry later said only 41 drones were shot down in the Novgorod region during the same period.
Lavrov warned that Russia’s negotiating position in ongoing peace talks would be revised and said the military had already selected targets for possible retaliatory strikes.
When asked why no evidence had been presented, Peskov said proof was unnecessary, insisting that the drones were neutralized by Russian air defenses. He accused Ukraine and Western media of deliberately denying what he described as a large-scale attack.
Zelensky, responding after speaking with European leaders, said Russia was spreading false narratives to justify continued attacks and prolong the war, adding that global intelligence agencies would know the truth.
According to Russian state media, Putin informed Trump that Moscow was reassessing its stance on peace negotiations because of the alleged attack. A Kremlin aide claimed Trump was “shocked” and “outraged” by what Putin told him.
Speaking to reporters later, Trump said he did not like the alleged attack and described it as “not good,” but also acknowledged uncertainty about whether it actually happened. Asked if U.S. intelligence agencies had evidence, Trump said authorities would determine the facts.
