ALBAWABA- Russia’s Foreign Ministry released video footage it said shows a Ukrainian drone being intercepted near President Vladimir Putin’s residence in the Valdai area of the Novgorod region, around 360 kilometers north of Moscow.
Russian officials described the footage as evidence of a large-scale overnight drone assault targeting multiple regions of the country.
According to the ministry, Russian air defenses intercepted a total of 91 drones between late December 28 and early December 29. Officials said 49 drones were downed over the Bryansk region, 41 over Novgorod, and one over Smolensk, adding that no casualties or material damage were reported.
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov linked the timing of the attack to recent U.S.-Ukraine peace discussions, accusing Kyiv of attempting to disrupt diplomatic efforts.
Ukraine rejected the claims, dismissing the footage and accompanying accusations as fabricated. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow was laying the groundwork for potential escalation, warning that Russia could use such allegations as a pretext for strikes against Ukrainian government institutions.
European Union officials echoed this assessment, stating that the claims appeared aimed at undermining fragile peace initiatives at a sensitive stage in negotiations.
The incident comes as U.S.-brokered talks remain stalled following Zelenskyy’s December 28 meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, which produced cautious optimism but no progress on key issues such as territorial control.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that the alleged drone attack “will not go unanswered.” At the same time, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said any response would be determined by the military rather than diplomatic channels.
Retaliatory strikes, potentially against Ukrainian infrastructure, could further derail already fragile de-escalation efforts as both sides escalate pressure through military and information tactics.
