Russia Releases Video Alleging Ukrainian Drone Attack Near Putin’s Residence

A day after Russia claimed that a barrage of Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow and parts of Crimea.

the Kremlin released videos alleging repeated drone strikes on the residence of President Vladimir Putin, a claim that Ukraine has strongly denied.

One of the videos, circulated widely on social media, purportedly shows multiple explosions near what Russia claims is Putin’s residence. In a separate clip released by Russian authorities, a downed drone allegedly used in the attack is shown carrying a six-kilogram explosive charge. The authenticity of the footage has not been independently verified.

The alleged targeting of Putin’s residence ahead of New Year’s Eve drew international concern, including from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called for restraint and renewed focus on diplomacy.

“Deeply concerned by reports of the targeting of the residence of the President of the Russian Federation. Ongoing diplomatic efforts offer the most viable path toward ending hostilities and achieving peace. We urge all concerned to remain focused on these efforts and to avoid any actions that could undermine them,” PM Modi said in a post on social media.

Ukraine, however, dismissed Russia’s claims as baseless. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Moscow had failed to provide any credible evidence to support its allegations.

“Almost a day has passed and Russia still hasn’t provided any plausible evidence to its accusations of Ukraine’s alleged ‘attack on Putin’s residence.’ And they won’t, because there’s none. No such attack happened,” Sybiha wrote on X.

He also expressed disappointment over statements from countries, including India, the UAE and Pakistan, that raised concerns about the alleged attack. “We were disappointed and concerned to see statements expressing concern regarding an attack that never happened,” he added.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukraine of launching as many as 91 drones at targets in the Novgorod region, located between Moscow and St Petersburg, claiming they were intercepted by Russian air defence systems.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking after a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Florida, described the allegations as a Russian attempt to derail peace efforts and “justify additional attacks against Ukraine.”

France also expressed scepticism, saying it had found no concrete evidence to support what it described as “serious accusations” made by Russian authorities.