Drone Near Putin’s Home? Russia Claims Attack, Ukraine Calls It A Lie; Peace Talks Hang In Balance | World News

Moscow: Ukrainian forces launched a drone attack on the presidential building in Russia’s northwestern Novgorod region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. According to him, Russian air defense intercepted 91 UAVs overnight, preventing damage or loss of life. He said the incident was serious enough to force Moscow to reassess its position in negotiations focused on ending the war, Reuters reported.

The minister stated that the Russian army has already identified targets for retaliatory attacks and warned that such actions will not remain unanswered. He described the alleged attack as an act of “state terrorism” and said it took place at a time when diplomatic talks were ongoing.

The location mentioned by Russian officials appears to be the heavily guarded Valdai presidential residence, located near Valdai Lake in Novgorod Oblast. The campus has long served as a resting place for Russian leaders, including President Vladimir Putin and past Soviet and Russian presidents. Russian officials did not claim that Putin was at the scene during the incident.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky completely denied the accusation, saying it was a “complete fabrication” and accusing Moscow of manipulating the narrative to disrupt diplomatic momentum. He said the allegation emerged just a day after his nearly three-hour meeting with US President Donald Trump in Florida.

Although that meeting did not produce dramatic progress, Zelensky said both sides agreed on a revised peace framework that includes a 15-year U.S. security guarantee to Ukraine and the option to extend that guarantee further. He argued that Russia’s claim was aimed at weakening these diplomatic efforts.

“Russia is at it again, using dangerous language to undermine all the successes of our joint diplomatic efforts with President Trump’s team. We continue to work together to bring peace even closer,” he wrote in a post on X.

Minister Lavrov said that although Russia is reviewing its position, it has no plans to abandon the negotiations. He said Moscow viewed the alleged drone attack as a major escalation that required a response, while keeping diplomatic channels open.

The issue was raised directly between Moscow and Washington. According to Russian state radio, Putin informed Trump of the alleged drone strike during a phone call on Monday.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin told Trump that Russia was reevaluating its peace stance as a result of the incident.

Russian media reported that Trump was “shocked” and “enraged” after hearing Putin’s statement about the alleged attack. The White House described Trump’s meeting with Putin as “positive” but refused to disclose details of the meeting.

The exchange took place while fighting continued on the ground. That same day, Putin ordered Russian forces to intensify operations to establish full control of Ukraine’s Zaporozhye region, following a briefing from a Russian commander who said troops were about 15 kilometers from the region’s largest city.

As diplomatic maneuvers and battlefield developments proceed in parallel, the drone claim has added a new layer of instability to an already fragile peace process; Both Moscow and Kyiv are discussing this narrative and the intention behind it.