‘Russia is at it again’

Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington trade outrage over alleged attack on Putin’s Valdai residence

According to Russia:

Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, claims that Ukraine launched drones at President Vladimir Putin’s residence in Valdai, in Russia’s Novgorod region. Lavrov offered no evidence to support this claim, and there is currently no independent confirmation that the incident actually occurred.

“On the night of December 28–29, 2025, the Kiev regime [sic] carried out a terrorist attack using 91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles against the Russian president’s state residence in the Novgorod region,” Lavrov told journalists in Moscow. He said there were no reports of casualties or damage. Russia’s Defense Ministry claims that Russian air-defense forces shot down all 91 Ukrainian drones, including 41 over the Novgorod region, 49 over the Bryansk region, and one over the Smolensk region.

Lavrov said that Russia would respond to the alleged attack. “Such reckless actions will not go unanswered. The targets of retaliatory strikes and the timing of their execution by the Russian Armed Forces have already been determined,” he said. The Russian foreign minister also warned that Moscow would reevaluate its position in peace talks:

We do not intend to withdraw from the negotiating process with the United States. At the same time, given the complete transformation of the criminal Kiev regime [sic], which has shifted to a policy of state terrorism, Russia’s negotiating positions will be revised.

Presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Vladimir Putin informed U.S. President Donald Trump about the incident during a phone call on December 29. Ushakov said that the American leader was shocked and outraged by the claim that Ukraine had attacked Putin’s residence. According to Ushakov, Trump said he could not even imagine “such insane actions.”

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According to Ukraine:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Lavrov’s statement “another lie by the Russian Federation.” According to Zelensky, Russia intends to use the fabrication as a pretext for new strikes on Kyiv.

“It’s another lie from Russia. Yesterday [December 28], we met with Trump, and it’s obvious that for the Russians, if there’s no scandal between us and the United States — and there’s progress instead — that’s a loss for them. They don’t want to end the war. They’ll only end it if they’re pressured. So they were looking — I’m sure of it — for excuses,” Zelensky told journalists.

Zelensky warned that the Kremlin was “using dangerous statements” to sabotage diplomatic work between Washington and Kyiv:

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. Furthermore, the Russians have already targeted Kyiv in the past, including the Cabinet of Ministers building.

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, in turn, said that Russia had “fabricated” the story “for only one reason: to create a pretext and false justification for Russia’s further attacks against Ukraine, as well as to undermine and impede the peace process.” The minister argued that Ukraine carries out strikes “only strikes legitimate military targets in the Russian territory — in response to Russian strikes at Ukraine.”

According to Donald Trump:

U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the issue while speaking with reporters at the White House ahead of a meeting with an Israeli delegation. According to Trump, he learned about the incident from Vladimir Putin during a phone call on December 29.

“I don’t like it. It’s not good. I heard about it this morning. You know who told me about it? President Putin told me about it. Early in the morning, he said he was attacked. That’s no good. That’s no good. Don’t forget, you know the Tomahawks? I stopped the Tomahawk [missiles to Ukraine]. I didn’t want that,” Trump said.

The U.S. president added that the incident occurred during a “delicate period of time”:

This is not the right time. It’s one thing [for Ukraine] to be offensive … because they [the Russians] are offensive. It’s another thing to attack his house. It’s not the right time to do any of that. And [you] can’t do it. And I learned about it from President Putin today. I was very angry about it.