Russia accused Ukraine Monday of launching 91 drones at President Vladimir Putin’s state residence, a claim Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately dismissed as another Russian lie meant to disrupt President Donald Trump’s peace negotiations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine attacked Putin’s residence on Lake Valdai in the Novgorod region overnight Sunday into Monday using long-range drones.
Lavrov claimed Russian air defenses destroyed all the drones before they reached Putin’s home and reported no injuries or damage.
“Such reckless actions will not go unanswered,” Lavrov said in an audio message on the Foreign Ministry’s Telegram channel. “The targets of retaliatory strikes and the timing of their execution by the Russian Armed Forces have been determined.”
Zelensky rejected the Russian claim hours after meeting with Trump for nearly three hours Sunday at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
“Russia is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump’s team. We keep working together to bring peace closer,” Zelensky wrote on social media.
“This alleged ‘residence strike’ story is a complete fabrication intended to justify additional attacks against Ukraine, including Kyiv, as well as Russia’s own refusal to take necessary steps to end the war. Typical Russian lies,” Zelensky added.
“It is clear that yesterday we had a meeting with Trump, and it is clear that for the Russians, if there is no scandal between us and America, and we are making progress, for them it is a failure,” Zelensky said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed Zelensky’s response and urged the world to “condemn the provocative Russian statements aimed at derailing the constructive peace process.”
Ukraine strikes only legitimate military targets and called the Russian claims “fabricated” and made as a “pretext and false justification for Russia’s further attacks against Ukraine.”
Putin informed Trump about the alleged drone attack during a phone call Monday, according to Russian state radio citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described Trump’s call with Putin as “positive” but did not provide details about what was discussed.
Russia has made similar accusations in the past. In May 2023, Russia accused Ukraine of directing two drones at the Kremlin in what Moscow described as an assassination attempt on Putin. Russia reported no injuries and limited or no damage in that incident.