Zelensky rejects claims of drone strike on Putin’s residence

(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Russian claims that Ukraine launched a drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences, accusing Moscow of attempting to disrupt ongoing peace negotiations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov alleged that Kyiv conducted the strike overnight, using 91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) against Putin’s state residence in the Novgorod region of northwestern Russia. Lavrov warned that Russia would now reassess its stance in peace talks. It remains unclear where Putin was at the time of the alleged strike.

Zelensky rejected the accusation as “typical Russian lies,” claiming it was a pretext for Moscow to continue targeting Ukrainian sites. He noted that Russian forces had previously attacked government buildings in Kyiv. On X, Zelensky added, "It is critical that the world doesn't stay silent now. We cannot allow Russia to undermine the work on achieving a lasting peace."

Lavrov, in a statement shared on Telegram, said that all 91 drones were intercepted by Russian air defenses, and there were no casualties or material damage. He asserted, "Given the final degeneration of the criminal Kyiv regime, which has switched to a policy of state terrorism, Russia's negotiating position will be revised," while also noting that Moscow did not plan to exit US-mediated talks.

The allegations coincided with a meeting in Florida between US and Ukrainian officials on Sunday, where Presidents Trump and Zelensky discussed a revised peace plan to end the conflict. Following the talks, Zelensky told reports that there was a "possibility to finish this war" in 2026 but emphasized that Ukraine could not achieve victory without continued US support.

"My feelings of President Trump's sanctions and economical steps, shows that he's ready for very strong steps," Zelensky said. "In this situation, the United States can move the situation to peace quicker." He added that he did not trust Putin, stating, "I don't trust Putin and he doesn't want success for Ukraine."

Zelensky also revealed that the US had proposed a 15-year security guarantee for Ukraine, with Trump stating that an agreement on the matter was "close to 95%" complete. Zelensky described territorial disputes and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant as the last unresolved issues, with little progress on the contested Donbas region, which Russia seeks to control entirely. Moscow currently occupies about 75% of Donetsk and nearly all of Luhansk.

Following the talks, the White House said Trump had "concluded a positive call" with Putin.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that the Russian president highlighted the alleged attack on his residence, saying it occurred "almost straight after what the US had considered to be a successful round of talks." Ushakov added, "The US president was shocked by this information, he was angry and said he couldn't believe such mad actions. It was stated that this will no doubt affect the US approach to working with Zelensky."

During a subsequent press conference, Trump initially seemed unaware of the alleged strike but later confirmed he had been informed by Putin, stating he was "very angry about it." When asked whether the US had verified the claim, he responded, "Well we'll find out. You're saying maybe the attack didn't take place - that's possible too, I guess. But President Putin told me this morning it did."

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