Russia’s Foreign Minister has accused Ukraine of launching an extensive drone operation against President Putin’s official residence, threatening to derail diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending the conflict. The allegations involve 91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles allegedly deployed over a 48-hour period, though Ukrainian leadership has dismissed the entire account as Russian fabrication.
Sergei Lavrov told reporters that the drone assault occurred on December 28-29, targeting Putin’s state residence in the Novgorod region. He described the alleged operation as an act of state terrorism and warned that it would not go unpunished. The Foreign Minister confirmed that Russian military leadership had already identified targets for retaliatory strikes, though he did not specify when such operations might occur or what they would target.
President Zelensky responded forcefully to the accusations, characterizing them as typical Russian lies intended to justify attacks on Ukrainian government infrastructure. He suggested that Moscow was building a narrative to support strikes on buildings in Kyiv while simultaneously undermining diplomatic efforts involving international partners. Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine consistently supports peace processes rather than taking actions that could jeopardize negotiations.
Russian authorities claimed complete success in defending the presidential property, asserting that air defense systems destroyed all 91 drones before they could reach their targets. Despite this claimed defensive victory, Lavrov maintained that the attack attempt itself represented a significant escalation that demanded a forceful response. He indicated that the incident would influence Russia’s approach to ongoing peace discussions.
The allegations have emerged during a particularly sensitive period for diplomatic initiatives. Zelensky specifically referenced work with President Trump’s team, warning that Russian accusations threatened to undo progress toward peace. He called on world leaders to actively counter Russian disinformation campaigns, arguing that silence effectively enables Moscow to continue disrupting peace efforts through manufactured crises and false narratives designed to shift blame and justify continued military operations.