Moscow Claims Ukrainian Drone Targeted Presidential Residence

On Thursday, the Russian government announced that it had decoded data from a Ukrainian drone intercepted earlier in the week, asserting that the drone was targeting a facility within the Russian presidential residence in the Novgorod region. The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that it would share this information with the United States through established communication channels.

"Decryption of routing data revealed that the final target of the Ukrainian drone attack on December 29, 2025, was a facility at the Russian Presidential Residence in the Novgorod region," the ministry stated in a message on Telegram.

In response to Moscow's allegations, officials from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the United States dismissed the claims regarding the alleged drone attack. CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed President Donald Trump on the agency's assessment, which contradicts Moscow's narrative.

Earlier in the week, Russia accused Ukraine of launching a strike involving 91 long-range drones aimed at President Vladimir Putin's residence. The Russian government indicated that this incident would influence its stance in ongoing peace talks backed by the United States aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

Initially, Trump seemed to empathise with Russia's concerns, mentioning during a press conference that Putin had communicated his anger regarding the incident. However, by Wednesday, Trump appeared more sceptical, sharing a critical editorial from the New York Post that accused Russia of hindering peace efforts in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government has categorically denied any involvement in the alleged attack, labelling the accusations as part of a Russian disinformation strategy intended to create discord between Kyiv and Washington. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the claims as a "complete fabrication" aimed at justifying further assaults on Ukraine, particularly on the capital city of Kyiv, as well as Russia's reluctance to engage in meaningful negotiations to end the war.

This incident occurred shortly after Trump hosted Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Although both leaders expressed optimism following their meeting, little progress was made on significant issues, including security assurances for Ukraine and Russia's demands for territorial concessions.

Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, confirmed that discussions were ongoing, stating that he and other senior officials had engaged with Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and various European national security officials to further the peace process. Witkoff emphasised the need for practical discussions to enhance security guarantees and create effective mechanisms to prevent any resurgence of conflict in the region.