In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) Heads of State Council at the Yntymak Ordo (Palace of Unity) presidential residence in Bishkek on November 27, 2025.
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Ukraine has denied an allegation by Russia that it launched a drone attack against one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residences, and instead accused Moscow of trying to undermine peace talks.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday alleged that Ukraine had fired 91 drones at Putin’s official residence in the Novgorod region, located between Moscow and St Petersburg.
Lavrov said the drones, allegedly launched between Sunday night and Monday morning, had been destroyed by air defenses and that no casualties had been reported. It’s not clear where Putin was at the time of the alleged incident, and Lavrov provided no further details.
Russian state media reported that Putin called U.S. President Donald Trump following the incident and told him that Russia would “revise its stance” in ongoing peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Kyiv immediately denied Russia’s allegation on Monday, describing it as a “complete fabrication.”
“Russia is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump’s team,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X.
“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. Typical Russian lies.”
Russia’s allegation came a day after Zelenskyy held in-person talks with Trump in Mar-a-Lago in Florida, with both leaders saying progress had been made on a 20-point peace plan and an agreement on security guarantees for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy commented Monday that Moscow was trying to undermine peace talks between the U.S. and Kyiv, saying: “Ukraine does not take steps that can undermine diplomacy. To the contrary, Russia always takes such steps. This is one of many differences between us.”
Trump reaction
Russian state media reported that Trump had expressed outrage at the alleged attack during a phone conversation with Putin on Monday.
Kremlin Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov told the press that Trump was “shocked by this information, literally outraged” at “such reckless actions,” state media agency TASS reported. Ushakov added that it was stated that the incident would affect the U.S. approach to working with Zelenskyy.
Trump was later directly asked for his reaction to the alleged drone attack and appeared to side with Russia’s version of events.
“I learned about it from President Putin today. I was very angry about it,” he told reporters in Florida Monday.
“This is not the right time. It’s one thing to be offensive, because they’re offensive. It’s another thing to attack his house. It’s not the right time to do any of that,” he added.
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska.
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Some commentators on social media said that Russia had aimed to use the alleged drone attack as a way to gauge Trump’s attitude toward Ukraine, and to undermine — or stress test — potential security guarantees that Kyiv could receive as part of a peace deal.
“This is how supposedly ironclad ‘security guarantees for Ukraine’ would fall apart: one Russian false-flag operation — or just a lie … and they’re gone,” Olena Halushka, co-founder of the International Centre for Ukrainian Victory, commented on X.
When asked if there was any U.S. intelligence showing the attack actually took place, Trump admitted it’s “possible” it didn’t actually happen. But he added: “President Putin told me this morning it did.”
