Russia Accuses Ukraine of 91-Drone Attack on Putin Residence

Russia has accused Ukraine of attempting a drone attack on President Vladimir Putin’s residence in northern Russia, a claim Kyiv dismissed as fabricated and aimed at justifying further escalation.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying by Reuters that Ukraine launched 91 long-range drones overnight at the presidential residence in the Novgorod region. He said Russian air defences intercepted and destroyed all the drones, with no casualties or damage reported. “Such reckless actions will not go unanswered,” Lavrov said, adding that Russian armed forces had already identified targets for retaliatory strikes and calling the alleged attack “state terrorism.”

The incident reportedly took place during negotiations over a possible peace deal and would force Moscow to review its negotiating position, though he said Russia would not withdraw from the talks. Russian authorities did not clarify whether Putin was present at the Dolgiye Borody, or Long Beards, residence at the time. The site has previously been used by leaders including Josef Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev, Boris Yeltsin and Putin.

Ukraine strongly rejected the accusation. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called it “another round of lies,” saying Russia was preparing the ground to strike Ukrainian government buildings and deliberately escalating rhetoric during sensitive diplomatic discussions. He said the claim was intended to undermine Ukraine–U.S. peace talks and urged U.S. President Donald Trump to respond to what he described as Russian threats, Reuters reported.

The exchange came as fighting continued on the ground. Putin on Monday ordered Russian forces to intensify operations to seize full control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, after a Russian commander said Moscow’s troops were about 15 kilometres from Zaporizhzhia city, the region’s largest urban centre.