Ukraine has denied claims by Russia that it launched a drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences, describing the allegation as a deliberate attempt by Moscow to undermine ongoing peace efforts.
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the accusation on Monday, after Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, alleged that Ukraine carried out an overnight drone assault on Putin’s state residence in the northwestern Novgorod region.
Lavrov claimed that Kyiv launched 91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at the residence, all of which were intercepted and destroyed by Russian air defence systems. He said there were no casualties or damage.
It remains unclear whether Putin was at the residence at the time of the alleged incident.
Zelensky rejected the claim as “typical Russian lies,” accusing the Kremlin of manufacturing a pretext to escalate the war and derail diplomatic efforts.
“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.”
Russia said the alleged attack could force a reassessment of its stance in peace negotiations. In a statement on Telegram, Lavrov described Ukraine as a “criminal regime” that had resorted to “state terrorism,” adding that Russia’s negotiating position would be reviewed.
However, he said Moscow did not intend to withdraw from talks with the United States.
The claim comes a day 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 told Fox News that there was a “possibility to finish this war” in 2026, but stressed that Ukraine could not succeed without continued U.S. support.
“My feeling is that President Trump is ready for very strong steps,” Zelensky said, referring to potential sanctions and economic pressure on Russia.
Zelensky also said he did not trust Putin and saw no indication that the Russian leader genuinely wanted peace.
The Ukrainian president said the United States had proposed security guarantees lasting up to 15 years, while Trump later said an agreement on security guarantees was “close to 95%” complete.
According to Zelensky, unresolved issues include territorial disputes, the future of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and the fate of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. Russia currently controls about 75% of Donetsk and nearly all of Luhansk, collectively known as Donbas.
The White House said on Monday that Trump had held what it described as a “positive call” with Putin following the U.S.-Ukraine talks.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin told Trump that the alleged drone attack occurred shortly after what Washington had described as a successful round of peace discussions. Ushakov claimed Trump expressed shock and anger over the report, saying it could affect Washington’s approach to Kyiv.
Trump later told reporters that Putin had informed him about the alleged attack, adding that the United States was still assessing whether the incident had in fact taken place.