Zelenskyy rejects Russia’s claim that Ukrainian drones attacked Putin’s residence – National
Russia says it is reviewing its negotiating position after Ukrainian drones attacked Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence on Monday night, allegations the Ukrainian president called a “complete hoax.”
In a statement on his ministry’s Telegram channel, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukraine of “moving toward a policy of state terrorism” and said “such acts of terrorism cannot be answered.” He said the terms and timing of the retaliatory strikes have been decided.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an X post that the allegations were “intended to justify further attacks on Ukraine, including Kyiv,” and undermine peace talks.
He wrote: “Typical Russian lies.
“Ukraine does not take steps that would postpone the negotiations. On the contrary, Russia always takes these steps. This is one of the many views between us.”
The allegations came shortly after Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump emerged from lengthy talks in Florida with claims of progress, but no word on a deal that could end Russia’s brutal, years-long war.
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The talks were held as Russia continued to bombard Ukraine with missile and drone strikes over the weekend, including in the capital Kyiv.
Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin foreign policy aide, said in a separate Telegram statement that Putin and Trump spoke on Monday and that Putin had been briefed by Trump and his top advisers about Washington’s talks with Ukraine.
Trump was shocked and “furious” when Putin told him that Ukraine had attacked the president’s residence in Novgorod, Ushakov said.
“The situation in Russia will be reviewed in the many agreements reached in the previous phase and emerging solutions,” said Ushakov. “This was stated very clearly.”
White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt described Trump’s phone call with Putin as “good” for X. He did not say what was discussed.
Lavrov emphasized in his statement that Russia is not withdrawing from talks with the US
“At the same time, given the final collapse of the Kyiv criminal regime, which has moved on to a policy of state terrorism, Russia’s negotiating position will be reviewed,” he said in Russian.
Lavrov said the alleged “terrorist attack” in Ukraine involved 91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that targeted the Russian president’s residence in the Novgorod region, south of St. Petersburg.
Russian air defenses destroyed all the UAVs, Lavrov said, and there were “no reports of injuries or damage” from the debris. It is not clear whether Putin was present at the residence at the time.
“Russia is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all the success of our efforts to share with President Trump’s team,” Zelenskyy wrote in X.
“We will not allow Russia to undermine the task of achieving lasting peace.”
– via files from Reuters
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