Russia Claims Ukrainian Drone Targeted Putin’s Residence, Hands ‘Physical Evidence’ to US | Watch What Happened

Russia on Thursday claimed that a Ukrainian drone attack was aimed at one of the residences of President Vladimir Putin, saying it has handed over what it described as “physical evidence” of the alleged strike to the United States.

Admiral Igor Kostyukov, chief of Russia’s military intelligence agency, handed over a key component of a Ukrainian drone that was shot down earlier this week to a US military attache. 

According to Reuters, Russian officials said data extracted from the recovered device indicates that the intended target was a residence used by President Putin in the Novgorod region.

Video Shows Handover of Physical Evidence 

Footage shared on Russia’s Defence Ministry Telegram channel showed Igor Kostyukov handing over the drone’s navigation controller, which was recovered from the wreckage after Russian air defence systems intercepted several unmanned aerial vehicles.

According to Kostyukov, specialists from Russia’s security services analysed the data stored in the controller and concluded that it clearly identified the intended target as a group of buildings forming the Russian president’s residence in the Novgorod region. “We presume that this measure will do away with any questions and allow for the truth to be established,” he added.  

Earlier this week, Moscow claimed that Ukraine had attempted to attack the residence using as many as 91 long-range strike drones. Russian officials have warned that the alleged incident could have repercussions for ongoing or future talks with the United States aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine.