Russia shares 'proof' of Ukraine's attack on Putin's residence
Russia provided a U.S. military attaché in Moscow with what it described as evidence of an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on President Vladimir Putin's residence, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
In video released by the ministry, GRU chief Igor Kostyukov met an American diplomat and presented wreckage.
"We found fragments of unmanned aerial vehicles that carried out this attack. In a number of unmanned aerial vehicles, navigation systems were well preserved and technically sound," he told the American.
According to him, decrypted data from these systems "unequivocally confirmed" the target was Putin's complex in Novosibirsk Oblast.
Russians claimed they gave the U.S. attaché's office materials with purportedly decrypted routing and controller data from a Ukrainian UAV to "remove all questions" and aid "establishing the truth."
Just a day earlier, CNN reported that the Central Intelligence Agency — the main U.S. government intelligence agency — believes Ukraine did not attack Putin's residence. CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly briefed President Donald Trump on the assessment on December 31.
Meanwhile, Trump shared an editorial from the New York Post on his Truth Social network headlined: "Putin ‘attack’ bluster shows Russia is the one standing in the way of peace."
Background
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed overnight into December 29 that Putin's residence in Novosibirsk Oblast was attacked by 91 Ukrainian drones. He added Moscow would review its negotiating position afterward.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied the information. He explained the Kremlin was dissatisfied with progress in Ukraine-U.S. negotiations and is seeking reasons to continue the war.
In addition, Zelenskyy suggested the Russian statement is a pretext for a new strike on Ukraine's capital, aimed in particular at government buildings.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he learned of the alleged attack from Putin himself during their phone call. Trump said such a situation is "bad" and "now’s not the right time for that."