December 30, 2025 | 03:51 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Russia's claim that Ukraine attempted to attack the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin with drones. According to The Kyiv Independent, Zelensky called the accusation a lie and stated that Moscow is using this to prepare grounds for an attack.
"With this statement about an alleged attack on some residence, they are preparing the ground to strike, most likely the capital and government buildings," Zelensky said on Monday, December 29, 2025.
Russia's Accusations and Alleged Terrorism
Earlier, the independent Russian media Meduza reported Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement accusing Ukraine of launching 91 drones into the Novgorod Oblast, the location of Putin's residence, on the night of December 29. Lavrov accused Kyiv of state terrorism.
Lavrov stated that Russia would review its negotiating position but would not withdraw from the talks. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stressed that Moscow's response to the alleged attack would not be diplomatic.
Zelensky Highlights Timing of Russia's Claim of Attack
Zelensky noted that the timing of Russia's claim was not coincidental, arising during Ukraine's discussions with the United States regarding the progress of revising the peace agreement framework.
"It's obvious that yesterday we had a meeting with President Trump, and it's clear that when there is no scandal for the Russians, when there is progress, it is a failure for them. They do not want to end this war and are only capable of doing so under pressure. So they are looking for a pretext," Zelensky said.
According to Al Jazeera, Kremlin's foreign policy advisor Yury Ushakov called the alleged drone attack almost immediately after Zelensky's meeting with US President Donald Trump in Florida.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also condemned Russia's accusations. In his post on X, he referred to the claim as "to create a pretext and false justification for Russia’s further attacks against Ukraine, as well as to undermine and impede the peace process."
On the other hand, Trump also confirmed that Putin made the allegation during a phone call. "I don't like it. It's not good. I learned about it from President Putin today. I was very angry about it," Trump said. When asked if there is evidence, Trump replied, "We'll find out."
Read: Ukraine's Zelensky Appears to Wish for Putin's Death in Christmas Address
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