Video captures drone wreckage and 6-kg bomb in snow, claimed to be Ukrainian Chaklun-V targeting Putin’s residence.
Russia calls it “state terrorism” and says the attack justifies a tougher position in ongoing peace negotiations.
Ukraine completely denies the story, calling the evidence fabricated and laughable; no independent verification exists.
Russia's Defence Ministry has released what it describes as "chilling" video evidence of a drone it claims was part of a large-scale Ukrainian attempt to strike one of President Vladimir Putin's residences in the Novgorod region, near Lake Valdai, on the night of December 28-29, 2025. The footage, filmed at night, shows a damaged drone lying in snowy woodland, with a Russian serviceman pointing to fragments of what Moscow identifies as a Ukrainian Chaklun-V drone carrying a 6-kg unexploded explosive charge. The ministry claims 91 long-range drones were launched from Ukraine's Sumy and Chernihiv regions in a "carefully planned" operation, all of which were intercepted by Russian air defences, resulting in no damage or injuries.
The release comes amid heated exchanges in ongoing U.S.-led peace talks, with Moscow using the incident to challenge Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's denials and accuse Kyiv of "state terrorism." Russian officials have described the alleged attack as a deliberate provocation that could harden Moscow's stance in negotiations.
The incident has drawn international skepticism, with the EU's foreign policy chief calling it a "deliberate distraction" from genuine peace progress, and U.S. officials reportedly questioning the claims. As the Russia-Ukraine conflict enters its fourth year, this latest exchange underscores the fragile state of ceasefire negotiations in early 2026. The video's release has sparked widespread debate online, with pro-Russian accounts sharing it as proof of aggression, while critics label it staged propaganda.
