Ukrainian President Rejects 3rd Russian False Flag Claim, Warns of Peace Talk Sabotage
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly denied Russian allegations that Kyiv launched a large scale drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s official residences, accusing Moscow of fabricating the claim to undermine fragile peace efforts.
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said Ukraine had fired 91 long range unmanned aerial vehicles overnight at Putin’s state residence in the north western Novgorod region. Russian authorities claimed all drones were intercepted by air defences, with no casualties or damage reported. It remains unclear where Putin was at the time.
Zelensky dismissed the allegation as “typical Russian lies”, arguing it was designed to justify continued attacks on Ukraine and stall diplomatic momentum. Writing on X, he said Russia had previously struck government buildings in Kyiv and warned against allowing Moscow to sabotage peace talks.
Ukrainian President
“It is critical that the world does not stay silent now,” Zelensky said. “We cannot allow Russia to undermine the work on achieving a lasting peace.”
Lavrov said in a statement on Telegram that Russia would review its negotiating stance in light of what he described as Kyiv’s shift toward “state terrorism”, although he added Moscow did not intend to withdraw from talks with the United States.
The claim emerged shortly after talks in Florida between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, where the two leaders discussed revisions to a US brokered peace plan. Following the meeting, Zelensky told Fox News there was a “possibility to finish this war” in 2026, but stressed Ukraine could not succeed without continued US backing.
He said Washington had offered security guarantees lasting 15 years, and Trump later suggested an agreement on that point was close to completion. Zelensky described territorial issues, including the Russian occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, as among the last unresolved matters. Little progress has been reported on the future of the Donbas region, which Moscow seeks to control in full.
Russia currently occupies about 75 percent of Ukraine’s Donetsk region and roughly 99 percent of neighbouring Luhansk, together known as Donbas.
The White House said on Monday that Trump had held a “positive” call with Putin following the Florida talks. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin told Trump the alleged drone attack occurred almost immediately after what Washington viewed as a successful diplomatic round.
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According to Ushakov, Trump reacted with anger and disbelief. Speaking later to reporters, Trump initially said he was unaware of the incident, before adding that Putin had informed him and that he was “very angry” about it. Asked whether the US had evidence of the attack, Trump said it was possible it had not taken place and that the matter would be clarified.
Russian officials have warned the alleged strike would not go unanswered. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia’s response would not be diplomatic and signalled further revisions to Moscow’s negotiating position.
Meanwhile, fighting continued across Ukraine. Russian strikes killed and wounded civilians in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions, while Ukraine reported investigations into alleged executions of captured soldiers. Russian authorities also reported civilian injuries in border areas and in occupied Ukrainian regions.
Despite the escalating rhetoric, diplomatic contacts continued. Zelensky said he briefed the leaders of Germany, Latvia and Finland on his talks with Trump and the state of negotiations. International agencies also reported repairs to power lines near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, easing immediate safety concerns.
As both sides trade accusations, Ukraine insists the drone claim is a calculated distraction. Russia, meanwhile, continues to press its demands for recognition of what it calls new territorial realities, a position rejected by Kyiv and deeply unpopular among Ukrainians, according to recent polling.
