The Russian Ministry of Defense announced today that its intelligence and security agencies conducted a technical examination of the guidance system of a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) shot down over Novgorod province on the night of 29/12/2025. Experts successfully extracted flight plan files from the navigation device. The ministry asserted that decoded navigation parameters showed the UAV strike targeted a building at President Vladimir Putin's residence in Novgorod province. "These data will be transferred to the United States through established channels," the announcement stated.

UAV that Russia claims Ukraine deployed in the attack on President Putin's residence on 29/12/2025. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense

This announcement follows skepticism from the United States regarding the alleged attack. NewsNation, an American news agency, reported on 31/12/2025, citing anonymous sources, that Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe informed President Donald Trump there was no evidence Ukraine launched an attack on Putin's residence. The Wall Street Journal, citing intelligence sources, disclosed that data suggested Ukraine targeted a different location within the same general area as the residence. The White House and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have not yet responded to these reports.

Previously, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Ukraine deployed 91 UAVs to attack President Putin's residence in Novgorod province on the night of 28/12/2025. He affirmed that all these aircraft were shot down en route. On 31/12/2025, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a night-vision video showing the wreckage of a downed UAV lying on snow in a forest, identifying it as one of the 91 UAVs involved in the attack. RT reported that this particular UAV carried 6 kg of explosives, packed with additional materials to increase its destructive power.

Russia released a map of UAV flight paths targeting Novgorod on the night and early morning of 28-29/12/2025. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense

President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Russia's accusations as "false information" designed to create a pretext for new attacks against Ukraine. Initially, President Trump expressed sympathy for Russia's claims, stating he was "very angry" about Ukraine targeting Putin's residence. However, the American leader later showed increased skepticism, sharing a New York Post editorial that accused Russia of "hindering peace in Ukraine."

Huyen Le (According to RT, Reuters, NewsNation)