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Russia’s Defense Ministry has released a nighttime video of what it claims is a Ukrainian drone shot down after being launched toward President Vladimir
Putin’s residence in northwestern Russia, an allegation Kyiv has dismissed as a "lie". The grainy footage shows a damaged drone lying in the snow in a forested area. The ministry said the alleged attack on Putin’s Valdai residence was “targeted, carefully planned and carried out in stages.” The video does not include details that would allow independent verification of when or where it was filmed.
Russia’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday provided its first detailed account of the alleged drone operation, claiming Ukraine launched 91 drones toward the Valdai residence in the Novgorod region between Sunday night and Monday morning. According to the ministry, more than half of the drones were intercepted hundreds of kilometers from the estate, as per Moscow Times.
Major General Aleksander Romanenkov, head of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ air defense missile troops, said the drones approached “along several routes toward the Russian president’s residence, passing over the Bryansk, Smolensk, Tver and Novgorod regions.”
Romanenkov said 50 drones were intercepted over the Bryansk and Smolensk regions, both located roughly 520 kilometers south of Valdai and frequent targets of Ukrainian drone strikes. He said another 41 unmanned aircraft were shot down over the Novgorod region. He did not explain how the military determined that the drones intercepted far from Valdai were heading toward Putin’s residence.
“The configuration of the attack, the number of aerial assault assets involved… clearly indicate that the terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime was deliberate, carefully planned and conducted in a layered manner,” Romanenkov said.
Ukraine has rejected Russia’s claims, calling them fabricated and politically motivated. Ukrainian officials said the allegations were intended to disrupt U.S.-brokered talks aimed at ending the war.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFP0ylDfHhs
The unusual handling of the announcement has drawn attention in Moscow. Initial details of the alleged attack were disclosed not by the Defense Ministry or regional officials, but by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who delivered what resembled a military briefing while Putin was speaking by phone with United States President Donald Trump on Monday. Trump told reporters he was “very angry” about the incident.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv discussed the claims with US officials. “Our partners can verify whether this was fabricated, given their technical capabilities,” he said.
If confirmed, it would not be the first time Ukrainian drones have reached locations associated with Putin. In May 2023, two drones struck the roof of the Kremlin, which Russian authorities described as an attempted assassination. At the same time, Zelensky has said Russia has made multiple unsuccessful attempts to assassinate him since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also voiced "deep concern" over the reports of the targeting of the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged Russia and Ukraine to focus on diplomatic efforts to end hostilities.
"Deeply concerned by reports of the targeting of the residence of the President of the Russian Federation," Modi said in a post on X, adding, "We urge all concerned to remain focused on these efforts and to avoid any actions that could undermine them."
