Moscow: Russia has released a video showing what it claims is a drone used in an alleged attack on the residence of President Vladimir Putin, accusing
Ukraine of orchestrating a carefully planned strike in the Novgorod region. The Russian defence ministry shared the footage on Wednesday, though it did not disclose Putin’s location at the time of the incident.
The video, reportedly filmed at night, shows a damaged drone lying in snow in a wooded area. According to the defence ministry, the attack was “targeted, deliberate and carried out in stages”. Officials claimed the drone was equipped with a high-explosive warhead filled with numerous striking elements designed to cause maximum damage to people and civilian infrastructure.
Downed UAV with a 6kg explosive charge — Russian MOD publishes VIDEO PROOF of Ukrainian attack on Putin’s residence
The attempt was carried out on the night of December 28 to 29
WATCH report by the unit who took down 41 of the 91 drones sent by Kiev https://t.co/J9Tgd8yAJx pic.twitter.com/b7Yv55OlxP
— RT (@RT_com) December 31, 2025
The video showing the drone said, “This high-explosive part is filled with a large number of striking elements and is intended to destroy manpower and civilian objects.” It added, “The target of the drone attack was a protected facility in the Valdai district of the Novgorod region.”
Russian authorities said the alleged attack occurred at around 7:00 pm on December 28 and involved what they described as a “mass” launch of drones aimed at Putin’s home. They added that the residence was not damaged.
The incident emerged against the backdrop of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with US President Donald Trump in Florida.
Ukraine has strongly denied the allegations, calling the claims a “fabrication” and accusing Moscow of attempting to manipulate ongoing peace efforts. Kyiv said the incident was being used to distort the narrative surrounding negotiations related to the war.
The European Union echoed Ukraine’s stance, stating that the release of the video appeared to be an attempt to derail peace initiatives.
Russia, however, has labelled the alleged incident a “terrorist attack” and a direct personal threat against President Putin. Kremlin officials have warned that the episode could harden Moscow’s position in negotiations related to the Ukraine conflict.
