Russia’s 'drone debris' cannot prove 'attack' on Putin’s residence - Center for Countering Disinformation
Photo: head of the Center for Countering Disinformation Andriy Kovalenko (Getty Images)
Russia released photos of drone debris, allegedly from an attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence in Valdai. Experts and Ukrainian military officials have dismissed these as "evidence," according to the Center for Countering Disinformation of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.
The Russian Ministry of Defense displayed photos of metal fragments laid out on snow as "evidence" of a drone attack on Putin’s residence. However, the origin of these objects remains unknown, as does the time and place they appeared.
Despite claims of 91 drones and a "targeted attack," there is no convincing evidence. No air defense footage has been released, no drone crashes were recorded at the claimed locations, and even Russia’s own numbers kept changing.
"The Russians predictably posted drone debris only two days after their statement — after the initial version faced criticism," explained Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation.
Photo: debris of a drone allegedly “heading for Putin’s residence” (t.me/akovalenko1989)
He emphasized that this is a traditional Kremlin tactic — rather than explaining inconsistencies, they publish random fragments on the snow.
Experts believe that the story of the "attack on Valdai" is the Kremlin’s attempt to cover its own plans to pressure Ukraine, influence the diplomatic process, and create a fake justification for possible strikes on Ukrainian cities.
On December 29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reported an alleged attempt by Ukrainian drones to attack Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region.
The Russian representative immediately moved to threats, stating that Russia had already identified targets for a "retaliatory strike" and unjustly accusing Kyiv of "state terrorism."
At the same time, his statements do not match information from the Russian Ministry of Defense, particularly regarding the number of drones allegedly involved in the attack.
Additionally, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed that the incident would allegedly allow Russia to "strengthen its negotiating position" regarding Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the story about the attack is fake and that Moscow is using it to undermine peace initiatives involving Kyiv and Washington.
The ministry also expressed surprise at the official reactions of several Central Asian countries to the fabricated "attack on the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin."
RBC-Ukraine reported on statements by the Russian side regarding the alleged attack on Putin’s residence and the discrepancies in statements from Russian authorities.
