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In this swimming pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) at the presidential residence Yntymak Ordo (Palace of Unity) in Bishkek on November 27, 2025.
Alexander Kazakov | Afp | Getty Images
Russia and Ukraine continued to trade barbs Tuesday over an alleged drone attack on one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official residences.
Ukraine has denied carrying out such a strike, describing it as a “complete manufacturing”, but the Kremlin said its military was ready to retaliate.
On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov alleged that Ukraine fired 91 drones at Putin’s official residence in the Novgorod region, located between Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Lavrov said the drones, believed to have been launched between Sunday evening and Monday morning, were destroyed by air defenses and no casualties were reported. It is unclear where Putin was at the time of the alleged incident, and Lavrov provided no further details.
Ukraine has denied the claims and accused Moscow of trying to undermine peace talks.
“Russia is doing it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all the results of our joint diplomatic efforts with President Trump’s team,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X.
“This so-called ‘residential strike’ story is a complete fabrication intended to justify further attacks on Ukraine, including in kyiv, as well as Russia’s refusal to take the necessary steps to end the war. Typical Russian lies.”
Russian state media reported that Putin called US President Donald Trump after the incident and told him that Russia would “review its position” in ongoing peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
The Russian allegation comes a day after Zelensky spoke in person with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, with both leaders saying progress had been made on a 20-point peace plan and a agreement on security guarantees for Ukraine.
Zelensky commented on Monday that Moscow was trying to undermine peace talks between the United States and kyiv, saying: “Ukraine does not take steps that could harm diplomacy. On the contrary, Russia always takes such steps. This is one of the many differences between us.”
On Tuesday, the Kremlin said it had taken note of Zelensky’s denial and said Western media were “playing into Ukraine’s hands.” Asked whether Russia would produce evidence of the alleged drone attack, Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said that was a matter for the military.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Tuesday on
Trump’s reaction
Russian state media reported that Trump expressed outrage over the alleged attack during a phone conversation with Putin on Monday.
Kremlin presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Trump was “shocked by this information, literally outraged” by “such reckless actions,” the official TASS news agency reported. Ushakov added that it had been stated that the incident would affect the US approach to working with Zelensky.
Trump was later directly asked for his reaction to the alleged drone attack and appeared to side with the Russian version of events.
“I heard about it today from President Putin. I was very angry about it,” he told reporters in Florida on Monday.
“It’s not the right time. It’s one thing to be offensive, because they are offensive. It’s another thing to attack your house. It’s not the right time to do anything,” he added. he added.
U.S. President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson August 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska.
Contributor | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Some commentators on social media said Russia had sought to use the alleged drone attack as a way to gauge Trump’s attitude toward Ukraine and undermine — or stress test — potential security guarantees that kyiv could receive under a peace deal.
“This is how the so-called ironclad ‘security guarantees for Ukraine’ would collapse: a Russian false flag operation – or just a lie… and they would disappear,” Olena Halushka, co-founder of the International Center for Ukrainian Victory, commented on X.
When asked if there was any U.S. intelligence showing the attack actually happened, Trump admitted it was “possible” it didn’t actually happen. But he added: “President Putin told me this morning that this was the case.”
