Russia accused Ukraine of attempting to attack President Vladimir Putin’s residence, a claim Kyiv flatly rejected as false, deepening tensions at a moment when fragile peace talks are under way.
The allegation, which Moscow did not support with evidence, triggered sharp diplomatic exchanges and raised fresh uncertainty over negotiations aimed at ending the nearly three year war in Ukraine.
Russian officials said Ukraine launched a drone attack targeting Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region late last month. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said 91 long range drones were intercepted by Russian air defenses and that no injuries or damage were reported.
Lavrov described the alleged incident as “state terrorism” and warned it would not go unanswered, adding that Russian forces had already selected targets for retaliation. Reuters could not independently verify the claims, and Russian authorities offered no proof of the attack. It was also unclear where Putin was at the time.
The Kremlin said the alleged strike had prompted Moscow to reassess its position in ongoing negotiations, though it stopped short of saying Russia would withdraw from talks.
United States President Donald Trump said Putin told him about the alleged attack during a phone call on Monday morning, adding that the report angered him.
“It’s one thing to be offensive. It’s another thing to attack his house,” Trump told reporters in Florida. “It’s not the right time to do any of that.”
Trump said he had no independent confirmation of the incident and added that U.S. intelligence agencies would look into the claim. “We’ll find out,” he said.
A day earlier, Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Florida and said the two sides were “very close” to a deal to end the war, although significant disagreements over territory remained.
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Zelenskiy rejected Moscow’s accusation outright, calling it “a complete fabrication” and accusing the Kremlin of trying to sabotage progress toward peace.
Speaking to reporters, Zelenskiy said Russia was using the claim to justify further military pressure and possibly prepare new strikes on Kyiv. He added that improved coordination between Ukraine and the United States was viewed negatively by Moscow.
“For the Russians, if there is no scandal between us and America and we are making progress, it is a failure for them,” Zelenskiy said.
As the diplomatic dispute unfolded, Putin struck a defiant tone in remarks to Russia’s military, urging forces to continue their push to seize full control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region.
The Kremlin also repeated long standing demands that Ukrainian troops withdraw from the remaining areas of the Donbas still under Kyiv’s control, conditions Ukraine has consistently rejected.
Russia currently occupies about one fifth of Ukrainian territory following its full scale invasion in February 2022, according to Ukrainian and Western estimates.
