Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed on Monday that Ukraine tried to attack President Vladimir Putin’s state residence in the Novgorod region. He warned that this alleged strike would shift how Moscow approaches peace talks, according to Interfax.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy didn’t hold back, he called the accusation a flat-out lie.
Lavrov described Ukraine’s actions as “reckless,” saying they sent 91 long-range drones toward the residence between December 28 and 29. He promised Russia would respond and called the attack “state terrorism,” Reuters reported.
Nobody knows if Putin was actually at the residence during the supposed attack. Lavrov said Russia’s military already picked out targets for revenge strikes.
Vladimir Putin $1.4 Billion palace in Russia 🇷🇺 pic.twitter.com/z776BTTdRp
— Renee (@Reneefit97) December 28, 2025
He also mentioned the timing, these events happened while talks about a Ukrainian peace deal were underway. Lavrov insisted Russia would keep negotiating but made it clear their stance had changed.
On the other side, Zelenskiy shot down the claims as pure fiction. He argued Russia was just looking for an excuse to hit government buildings in Kyiv.
