Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday that it had transferred what it described as evidence showing that Ukrainian forces targeted a Russian presidential residence earlier this week, an allegation that Kyiv and Western governments have firmly rejected. The announcement adds to rising diplomatic tensions as Moscow and Washington continue discussions related to the broader war in Ukraine.
According to the ministry, fragments of a Ukrainian drone recovered after an alleged attempted strike were presented to a US military attache in Moscow. Russian officials said the handover included a component containing navigational data that, in their view, supports claims that the intended target was a residence linked to President Vladimir Putin in Russia’s northern Novgorod region.
The ministry released video footage on its official Telegram channel showing Admiral Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of Russia’s Armed Forces, delivering what he identified as a drone control mechanism to the US representative. Kostyukov said Russian specialists had examined data recovered from the drone’s navigation controller and concluded that the flight path indicated a direct approach toward a complex of buildings associated with the president’s residence.
He stated that the findings were shared to clarify Russia’s position and to address any questions regarding Moscow’s account of the incident. Russian officials have said they expect the information to be reviewed by US authorities as part of ongoing security contacts between the two countries.
Earlier this week, Russia accused Ukraine of attempting to strike the presidential residence using a large number of long-range drones. Moscow said air defenses intercepted and destroyed the devices before they reached their target. Following the allegation, Russian authorities signaled that the incident could influence their stance in talks with the United States aimed at addressing the conflict in Ukraine.
Ukraine has denied any involvement in an attack on Putin or his residences, describing the accusation as unfounded. Ukrainian officials said the claims were part of a disinformation effort intended to strain relations between Kyiv and Washington at a sensitive diplomatic moment.
Western governments have also questioned Russia’s version of events. US media reports citing national security officials said assessments conducted in Washington did not support the claim that Ukraine had targeted the Russian president or his properties with drones.
The episode briefly drew public comment from US President Donald Trump, who said earlier in the week that Putin had informed him of the alleged incident and expressed anger over it. Days later, Trump shared commentary on social media suggesting that Russia was hindering progress toward peace, highlighting the shifting public narrative around the episode.
The conflicting accounts underscore the difficulty of verifying claims amid an ongoing war marked by information disputes and competing narratives. As fighting continues and diplomatic channels remain open, the drone allegations have added another layer of complexity to already strained relations between Russia, Ukraine, and their international partners.
