Russia releases fake drone attack map targeting Putin residence
Russian President Vladimir Putin (photo: kremlin.ru)
Two days after claims of an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia's Defense Ministry released a map showing the purported drone routes, which Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service described as fake, according to the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine and the Russian Defense Ministry map.
According to Russia's Defense Ministry, air defense forces allegedly destroyed 50 drones in the Bryansk and Smolensk regions, which Russian officials claim were heading toward Putin's residence. Another 41 drones, the occupiers say, were shot down in the Novgorod region.
Putin's residence is located in the Novgorod region near the city of Valdai, approximately 20 kilometers from the settlement of Dolgiye Borody. At the same time, no evidence has been provided to support the Russian side's claims.
Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service says that Russia is conducting an information operation aimed at undermining agreements between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States.
photo: https://t.me/rian_ru/330287
What intelligence says
Signs of a fake cited by the Foreign Intelligence Service
The intelligence service cited several facts indicating the unreliability of Russia's statements:
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Throughout December 29, residents of the Novgorod region reported no drone attack or its consequences;
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There is no factual evidence — debris, photos, or videos of downed drones — which the Kremlin has been unable to provide for nearly a day after the start of the information campaign;
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Russia's Defense Ministry changed its reports twice, adjusting the number of allegedly detected drones to align with Kremlin narratives: initially reporting 18 drones, later revising the figure to 23.
The Foreign Intelligence Service emphasized that the spread of such statements is part of Russia's attempts to justify further aggressive actions and influence the international negotiation process.
Claim of an attack on Putin's residence
On December 29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that there had allegedly been an attempt by Ukrainian drones to attack Putin's residence in the Novgorod region.
A representative of the aggressor state immediately resorted to threats, claiming that Russia had already identified targets in Ukraine for a retaliatory strike, and also baselessly accused Kyiv of so-called state terrorism.
At the same time, Lavrov's statements do not align with the version presented by Russia's Defense Ministry, particularly regarding the number of drones allegedly involved in the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promptly responded to these claims, calling them another instance of Russian disinformation. According to him, such leaks are aimed at undermining Ukraine's diplomatic efforts and Donald Trump's team. They could be used as a pretext for new strikes on Ukrainian territory.
In turn, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that following this incident, Russia allegedly intends to strengthen its negotiating position regarding Ukraine. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry emphasized that the story of the attack is a fake that Moscow is using to undermine peace initiatives involving Kyiv and Washington.
More details on the Russian side's statements, the alleged attack on the residence, and discrepancies within Russia's authorities can be found in the RBC-Ukraine report.
