On Monday, Russian authorities announced that Ukraine had launched 91 drones toward a residence near Lake Valdai in northwestern Russia, reportedly used by President Vladimir Putin. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, more than half of the drones were intercepted hundreds of kilometers away, with the remainder stopped over Novgorod between 3 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. local time.
The Ministry has released maps to illustrate the supposed flight routes of the drones, plus videos of masked soldiers checking the wreckage. An unnamed male described as a local resident reported hearing the noise that awoke him. The Russian Government stated the drones’ warheads are designed to be high-explosive and target civilians.
How did the United States respond to the claim?
U.S. intelligence quickly assessed that Ukraine was not targeting Putin’s residence. CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed President Donald Trump on Wednesday, explaining there was no evidence supporting Russia’s allegations. Trump initially appeared to believe Putin’s claim during a Monday phone call, expressing anger at the reported attack. By Wednesday, however, he had adopted a more skeptical stance, posting on Truth Social an editorial suggesting the “attack likely never happened.”
The U.S. ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, also cast doubt on the Russian claims, saying, “It’s unclear whether it actually happened. We’re going to get to the bottom of the intelligence.”
Did Ukraine admit to the attack?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected these claims, saying them to be a “complete fabrication.” Ukrainian authorities attributed these reports to attempts to derail peace negotiations mediated by the US, after Trump, Zelensky, and Putin held some talks recently.
Russia is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump's team. We keep working together to bring peace closer.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 29, 2025
This alleged "residence strike" story is a complete fabrication intended to justify…
What do independent analysts say about Russia’s narrative?
European Union officials, including foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, labelled the claim a “deliberate distraction.” Analysts at a Washington think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, pointed out a lack of confirming evidence, such as local video evidence or reports from local leaders. Lithuanians labelled the warning a possible ‘false flag operation’ in an attempt to launch strikes on a Ukrainian target. Russian alternative media recognized several inconsistencies, particularly that the leader of Valdai district aired a public broadcast at 5 p.m. Monday with no mention of an attack.
What might be Moscow’s motivation for exaggerating the incident?
The claim has been interpreted by some European observers as an attempt to disrupt peace negotiations between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia. Trump had met a day earlier with Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago and expressed optimism that a potential peace agreement could happen. By hyping the threat to Putin’s residence, Russia might seek leverage with the U.S. and Ukraine while maintaining its propaganda messaging at home.
It is yet another instance of the fog of war in the Russia-Ukraine dispute that began five years ago after the invasion in February 2022. In these information operations, accusations of assaults against high-profile targets such as Putin can be highly dangerous in terms of their impact upon diplomatic talks, weapons talks, or any related matters of global security.
Why is U.S. intelligence important in verifying such claims?
The CIA, as well as other US agencies, makes an independent assessment of incidents with global repercussions. In this scenario, an assessment carried out by the US, countering Russian reports, proves that it is difficult to distinguish reports from actual intelligence reports. These reports shape diplomacy approaches, sanctions, and security aid, such as US support for Ukrainian weapons and trainings.
The disparity between the tale of Russia and U.S. intelligence could make matters even worse in their relations. In fact, though Trump’s phone call with Putin was a sign of deference to Russian claims, his briefing afterward from the CIA and public statements would suggest a willingness to give more attention to verified intelligence than propaganda.
President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks after meeting with President @ZelenskyyUa on ending the Russia-Ukraine war:
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 28, 2025
“We made a lot of progress… it's very close.” pic.twitter.com/kGOlRUH6BW
As for Ukraine, this episode really puts into perspective the chances of misleading information amid crucial negotiations and the need for transparency when communicating with allies.
Experts say that misleading reports of attacks or attacks in disguise could result in precarious talks becoming unstable. European authorities and the U.S. will probably continue with close vigilance of these incidents in order to avoid being misled in talks. The conflict poses itself as one that is made up of complex elements of attacks and diplomatic talks in ending the conflict.
