Russia Releases Footage Of Kyiv Drone 'Attack'

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Russia's defence ministry Wednesday released video footage of what it said was a downed drone at a briefing ‌intended to show Ukraine tried ‌this week to attack ‍a presidential residence and challenge Kyiv's denials that such an ⁠attack took place.

Kyiv says ⁠Moscow has produced no evidence to support ‍its allegations and that Russia invented the alleged attack to block progress at talks on ending the war in Ukraine. Officials in several Western countries have cast doubt on Russia's version of events and questioned whether there was ‌any attack.

Video footage released by Russia's defence ministry showed a senior officer, major-general Alexander Romanenkov, setting out details ‍of how Moscow ⁠says it ‌believes Ukraine attacked one of President Vladimir Putin's residences in the Novgorod region.

Romanenkov said 91 drones had been launched from Ukraine's Sumy and Chernihiv regions in a "thoroughly planned" attack that he said was thwarted by Russian air defences, caused no damage and injured no one.

The video released by the ministry included footage of a Russian serviceman standing ​next to fragments ‌of a device which he said was a downed Ukrainian Chaklun-V ⁠drone carrying ‍a 6kg explosive device which had not detonated.

The ministry did not explain how it knew what the device's target was.

Reuters could not confirm the location and the date of the footage showing fragments ​of a destroyed device. The model of the destroyed device could not be immediately verified.

Other footage featured a man, identified as Igor Bolshakov from a village in the Novgorod region, saying he had heard air defence rockets in action.

Ukraine did not immediately respond to a ⁠request for comment on the Russian defence ministry's footage.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin used his annual televised New Year's address to rally his troops fighting in Ukraine, ‌saying he believed in them ‌and in victory in ‍a war that he has framed as part of ⁠an existential struggle with ⁠the West.

US President Donald Trump is trying to ‍broker an end to the nearly four-year-old conflict, Europe's bloodiest conflagration since World War II, with both sides' negotiating stances still far apart.

Dressed in a black coat, Putin - whose forces are advancing slowly but steadily in ‌Ukraine - spoke about Russia's destiny and the unity of its people, which he said guaranteed the sovereignty and ‍security of the "Fatherland".

He ⁠paid tribute ‌in particular to his forces fighting in Ukraine, calling them heroes.

"Millions of people across Russia - I assure you - are with you on this New Year's Eve," said Putin.

presidential residence Kyiv alleged attack drone

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