President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied Russia’s claims that Ukraine attacked one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences with drones. He accused Moscow of trying to disrupt peace talks.
Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said Ukraine used 91 long-range drones on Sunday night to target Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region of Russia.
Following the alleged attack, Russia announced it would review its stance in peace negotiations. It is not clear where Putin was during this time.
Zelensky called the claims “typical Russian lies” and suggested they serve as an excuse for Russia to continue its attacks on Ukraine. He pointed out that Russia has previously targeted government buildings in Kyiv and warned that this latest accusation could lead to more strikes on Ukraine.
“Everyone needs to stay alert right now. A strike could happen in the capital,” Zelensky told reporters on Monday. He described Russia’s comments as a “threat.”
He also said Russia is “looking for reasons” to keep attacking Ukraine and sees any progress toward a ceasefire as a “failure.”
Zelensky emphasized on X: “The world must not stay silent now. We cannot let Russia undermine efforts to achieve lasting peace.”
Russia to Change Its Negotiating Position
On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russian air defense systems intercepted and destroyed all 91 drones that were launched at President Putin’s residence. He also mentioned that there were no injuries or damage from the attack.
Lavrov stated, “Because of the complete deterioration of the Ukrainian government, which has turned to state terrorism, Russia will revise its negotiating position.” However, he noted that Russia does not plan to stop negotiating with the United States, according to the Russian news agency Tass.
On Tuesday, the Kremlin said it would not provide proof of the alleged attack. A spokesman told reporters that Russia would now take a tougher negotiating stance.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged other countries to ignore Russia’s “false claims.” He said, “Almost a day has passed, and Russia still hasn’t provided any credible evidence for its accusations about Ukraine’s supposed ‘attack on Putin’s residence.’ They won’t, because there is none. No such attack happened.”
Moscow’s claims followed talks between the U.S. and Ukraine in Florida on Sunday, where Presidents Trump and Zelensky discussed a new peace plan to end the war. After the meeting, Zelensky told Fox News on Monday that there was a “chance to end this war” by 2026. He emphasized that Ukraine cannot win the war without U.S. support.
“My view of President Trump’s sanctions and economic measures shows that he’s ready to take strong actions,” Zelensky said. “In this situation, the United States can help us achieve peace more quickly.”
I Don’t Trust Putin – Zelensky
The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, told Fox News that he does not trust Putin. He believes that Putin does not want Ukraine to succeed. Zelensky mentioned that the US provided Ukraine with security promises for 15 years, and Trump said they were close to finalizing this agreement.
Zelensky pointed out that the main issues left to resolve are territorial concerns and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. There has been little progress regarding the Donbas region, which Russia wants to take completely. Currently, Russia controls about 75% of the Donetsk region and nearly 99% of the Luhansk region. Together, these regions are called Donbas. Russia has rejected important parts of the ongoing plan.
On Monday, the White House reported that President Trump had a “positive call” with Putin after the US-Ukraine talks.
Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin foreign policy advisor, shared that during the call, Putin mentioned an alleged attack on his residence occurred soon after what the US considered a successful round of talks. Ushakov said, “The US president was shocked and angry about this information. He couldn’t believe such reckless actions. This will certainly affect how the US works with Zelensky.”
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