Russia Releases Video Claiming Foiled Drone Attack on Presidential Residence; Ukraine and West Question Allegations

Moscow says 91 drones were launched from Ukraine; Kyiv dismisses claims as unsubstantiated amid ongoing war diplomacy

Russia’s Defence Ministry on Wednesday released video footage it says supports its claim that Ukraine attempted a drone attack on a Russian presidential residence earlier this week, an allegation that Kyiv has firmly denied and Western officials have viewed with scepticism.

The footage, published on December 31, 2025, was presented during a briefing by Major-General Alexander Romanenkov and was intended, according to Moscow, to demonstrate that Russian air defences successfully thwarted a “large-scale, pre-planned” Ukrainian drone assault in the Novgorod region, where President Vladimir Putin has an official residence.

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Russia’s version of events

Addressing the briefing, Major-General Romanenkov claimed that a total of 91 drones were launched from Ukraine’s Sumy and Chernihiv regions as part of the alleged operation. He said Russian air defence systems intercepted the drones before they could cause damage, adding that no casualties or structural harm were reported.

As part of its presentation, the Defence Ministry released video showing a Russian serviceman standing beside what were described as fragments of a Ukrainian-made Chaklun-V drone. According to the officer in the footage, the drone was carrying an explosive payload weighing approximately six kilograms, which did not detonate after being shot down.

The video also included testimony from a local resident, identified as Igor Bolshakov from a village in the Novgorod region, who said he heard air defence missiles being fired during the night, suggesting active interception by Russian forces.

However, the Defence Ministry did not clarify how investigators determined that the drone fragments shown were part of an attack specifically aimed at a presidential residence, nor did it provide independent technical verification of the drone’s origin or intended target.

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Questions over evidence and verification

International news agency Reuters said it was unable to independently verify the location or timing of the footage released by the Russian Defence Ministry. The exact model of the destroyed device could also not be confirmed through open-source analysis at the time of publication.

Ukraine, which has consistently denied carrying out any such attack, maintains that Russia has failed to provide credible evidence to back its claims. Ukrainian officials have suggested that Moscow may be exaggerating or fabricating the incident to influence diplomatic dynamics or justify further military actions.

Western officials, speaking separately, have also expressed doubts about Russia’s account. Some governments have questioned whether any attack took place at all, pointing to the lack of corroborating evidence and the absence of damage or casualties typically associated with a strike involving dozens of drones.

Ukraine did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment specifically on the newly released footage.

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Diplomatic and strategic context

The allegations come at a sensitive moment in the nearly four-year-old war, as intermittent diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict have struggled to gain traction. Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of using unverified security claims to stall negotiations and shift international attention.

Moscow, for its part, has repeatedly accused Kyiv of escalating the conflict through cross-border drone and missile strikes, particularly against high-profile or symbolic targets inside Russia. Ukraine has acknowledged conducting some long-range strikes against military infrastructure but denies targeting civilian or political sites.

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Broader implications

If substantiated, an attempted drone attack on a presidential residence would mark a significant escalation in the conflict, potentially prompting a harsher Russian response and complicating already fragile diplomatic channels. However, analysts caution that without independently verified evidence, the claims are likely to deepen mistrust rather than clarify the situation.

As the war continues, information warfare and competing narratives remain central to the conflict, with both sides using official statements, imagery, and selective disclosures to shape domestic and international opinion. For now, the alleged Novgorod drone incident remains contested, with more questions than confirmed answers.