Russia accused Ukraine tried to attack Putin's residence, Zelenskyy refutes claim

Russia on Monday accused Ukraine of attempting to attack President Vladimir Putin’s residence in northern Russia, a claim Kyiv strongly denied, calling it fabricated and aimed at justifying further Russian strikes and undermining peace efforts, news agency Reuters reported.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine launched an overnight drone attack targeting the presidential residence in the Novgorod region.

According to Lavrov, Russian air defences intercepted and destroyed 91 long-range drones, and there were no casualties or material damage.

He described the alleged incident as "state terrorism" and warned that Russia would respond.

"Such reckless actions will not go unanswered," Reuters quoted Lavrov as saying, who added that Russian armed forces had already identified targets for retaliatory strikes.

He said the development would force Moscow to reassess its negotiating position, though he noted Russia would not withdraw from ongoing talks related to a possible peace deal with Ukraine.

The Russian side did not clarify whether Putin was present at the Dolgiye Borody residence—also known as Long Beards—at



the time of the alleged attack.

The site has historically been used by several Soviet and Russian leaders, including Josef Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev, Boris Yeltsin and Putin.

Ukraine categorically rejected the accusation. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed it as "another round of lies," saying Moscow was attempting to sabotage diplomatic progress and create a pretext for new attacks on Kyiv.

He said Russia was "preparing ground to strike Ukrainian governmental buildings" and accused Moscow of deliberately escalating rhetoric during sensitive diplomatic discussions.

Zelenskyy told reporters via WhatsApp that the claim was designed to undermine progress in Ukraine-US peace talks. He urged US President Donald Trump to respond to what he described as Russian threats.

The exchange came as fighting continued on the ground. On Monday, Putin instructed Russian forces to intensify their campaign to seize full control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region in the south.

A Russian military commander reported that Moscow’s troops were approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) from Zaporizhzhia city, the region’s largest urban centre.