Moscow accuses Kyiv of targeting Putin's residence with drones; video of the incident is available
In a new escalation of tensions between Moscow and Kyiv, the Russian Defense Ministry released a video on Wednesday showing the wreckage of a drone it claimed was shot down by Ukrainian forces in an attack targeting President Vladimir Putin's Valdai resort in northwestern Russia. This announcement comes at a highly sensitive time, amid conflicting reports about the progress of diplomatic negotiations, raising questions about the future of efforts to end the conflict.
Details of the Russian narrative and the alleged attack
According to the official Russian account, the attack, which Moscow described as "terrorist" and meticulously planned, occurred on the night of December 28-29, targeting President Putin's residence in the Novgorod region. Nighttime video footage showed a damaged drone lying in the snow in a wooded area. The Russian military released an illustrative map showing the flight paths of 91 drones allegedly involved in the complex attack, which began around 7:00 PM.
The Valdai area, which houses the targeted headquarters, is located between the current capital, Moscow, and the historic capital, St. Petersburg. It is usually under tight security and complete secrecy surrounding the movements of the Russian president, whose exact location at the time of the alleged attack was not specified by the authorities, while confirming that the headquarters was not damaged.
International skepticism and categorical Ukrainian denial
In response, Kyiv swiftly and categorically denied these accusations, describing them as "lies" and fabricated claims aimed at manipulating the peace process. The European Union supported the Ukrainian position, stating that Moscow, through these "baseless allegations," was seeking to undermine the progress made in the negotiations that began last November.
For its part, the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which specializes in monitoring and documenting conflicts, questioned the Russian account. The institute pointed to the absence of any independent visual evidence or images from amateurs or Russian local media, which is unusual in such attacks, which are often documented and shared immediately after they occur on social media platforms like Telegram.
The repercussions of the incident on the course of negotiations
This event gains significance from its critical timing; it came after statements from the US and Ukraine hinting at progress in negotiations aimed at ending the bloodiest war in Europe since World War II. Observers believe that Moscow's accusation against Kyiv of an assassination attempt against the president could be a pretext for hardening Russia's stance in any future talks, or a justification for a new military escalation.
Analyses indicate that targeting the headquarters of heads of state is a red line in diplomatic and military norms, and Moscow's use of this card - whether the attack was real or staged - reflects the Kremlin's desire to impose stricter conditions on the table, or perhaps to undermine the current de-escalation efforts being pushed by the West.
