Russia said Monday that Ukraine targeted an official residence belonging to President Vladimir Putin in the Novgorod region with a barrage of 91 long-range drones overnight — and claimed all of them were intercepted.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy flatly rejected the allegation made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, accusing Moscow of manufacturing a pretext for additional attacks on Kyiv in the wake of Zelenskyy's Sunday meeting with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
"Russia is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump's team," Zelenskyy wrote on X. "We keep working together to bring peace closer.
"This alleged 'residence strike' story is a complete fabrication intended to justify additional attacks against Ukraine, including Kyiv, as well as Russia's own refusal to take necessary steps to end the war," he continued.
Lavrov said Russia would reassess its negotiating stance in talks aimed at ending its nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine in response to what he described as an overnight drone attack. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
In his social media post, Zelenskyy said his country "does not take steps that can undermine diplomacy.
"To the contrary, Russia always takes such steps. This is one of many differences between us."
The Ukrainian leader closed his message by stressing the importance of speaking out against what he called "typical Russian lies."
"It is critical that the world doesn't stay silent now," Zelenskyy said. "We cannot allow Russia to undermine the work on achieving a lasting peace."
It was not immediately clear whether Putin was at the Novgorod residence at the time of the alleged attack.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump spoke with the Russian leader for the second time in as many days, though it was not immediately clear whether the claim about the Novgorod attack was discussed.
Novgorod is in northwestern Russia, roughly midway between Moscow and St. Petersburg. The number of official residences Putin maintains is considered a closely guarded secret.
In 2012, Putin critics released a report alleging he personally owned 20 palaces and villas — nearly half of them constructed after he took office in 2000.
One of the report's co-authors, former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, was assassinated in Moscow in February 2015.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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