Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected Russia’s claim that Kyiv carried out a drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences, accusing Moscow of fabricating the allegation to undermine ongoing peace efforts.
Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, alleged that Ukraine launched 91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles overnight at Putin’s state residence in the northwestern Novgorod region. He said Russian air defence systems intercepted and destroyed all the drones, adding that there were no casualties or damage. Moscow subsequently announced it would review its stance in peace negotiations, though it did not specify whether President Putin was present at the location during the alleged incident.
Zelensky dismissed the accusation as “typical Russian lies”, arguing that the claim was designed to provide the Kremlin with justification to continue its military campaign against Ukraine. He noted that Russia had previously targeted Ukrainian government buildings in Kyiv and warned against allowing such allegations to derail diplomatic progress.
“It is critical that the world doesn’t stay silent now,” Zelensky said in a post on X. “We cannot allow Russia to undermine the work on achieving a lasting peace.”
Despite the strong rhetoric, Lavrov said Russia did not intend to withdraw from negotiations with the United States, according to state news agency Tass. However, he described Ukraine as having shifted towards what he called “state terrorism”, signalling a potential hardening of Moscow’s negotiating position.
The dispute comes just days after talks between the United States and Ukraine in Florida, where Presidents Donald Trump and Zelensky discussed a revised peace proposal aimed at ending the war. Following the meeting, Zelensky said there was a possibility the conflict could end in 2026, but stressed that Ukraine could not achieve victory without continued US support.
In an interview with Fox News, Zelensky said President Trump appeared prepared to take “very strong steps”, including sanctions and economic measures, to pressure Russia towards peace. He also revealed that the United States had offered Ukraine security guarantees lasting 15 years, with Trump indicating that an agreement on the issue was close to completion.
However, significant obstacles remain. Zelensky said territorial disputes and the future of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant were among the final unresolved issues. Little progress has been made over Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, where Russia currently controls around 75 per cent of Donetsk and nearly all of neighbouring Luhansk.
The White House confirmed on Monday that President Trump had held what it described as a “positive call” with Putin following the US-Ukraine talks. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin raised the alleged drone attack during the call, suggesting it occurred shortly after what Washington viewed as a successful round of negotiations.
Ushakov claimed Trump was “shocked” and “angry” upon hearing the allegation, adding that the incident could affect US engagement with Zelensky. Trump later told reporters he had been informed about the matter by Putin and expressed anger, while also acknowledging that it was possible the attack did not occur, pending further verification.
Russia has previously rejected key elements of the peace plan under discussion, leaving the prospects for a negotiated settlement uncertain amid escalating accusations and deep mistrust between the parties.
Melissa Enoch
Follow us on:
