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Putin Alleges Drone Strike—Trump Says It Could Be Fake, US Congressman Calls Him a “Boldface Liar”
The Russian leader accused Ukraine of attempting a drone strike on his residence and suggested Moscow could reconsider its position in peace talks, claims Kyiv has firmly denied as fabricated. The allegations prompted a cautious response from Donald Trump, who acknowledged uncertainty over the facts, and drew sharp criticism from a US lawmaker who publicly labeled the Russian leader “a well-known boldface liar.”
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
The Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, warned that Russia could reconsider its position in talks with Ukraine, and described the alleged drone strike as an “act of state terrorism,” Russian state news media outlet TASS reported on December 29.
According to Russian state agencies, Putin raised the allegation during a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump.
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TASS reported that Trump was “shocked and outraged” by what he was told and allegedly described the actions attributed to Ukraine as “crazy.” Speaking later to reporters at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, Trump said he had learned of the incident directly from Putin.
“It’s one thing to be offensive. It’s another thing to attack his house. It’s not the right time to do any of that. … I was very angry about it,” Trump said, adding that the moment was “a delicate period of time,” likely referring to ongoing peace negotiations.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also claimed that Ukraine had attempted to strike Putin’s residence with drones overnight on December 29.
Lavrov did not specify which residence was targeted, but the Novgorod region is home to Putin’s official residence known as “Dolgiye Borody,” more commonly referred to as Valdai. Lavrov alleged that 91 drones were involved and that all were intercepted.
However, Russian regional officials and the country’s Ministry of Defense reported significantly lower figures. According to statements published on the Telegram channel of Novgorod region governor Andrey Dronov, air defenses intercepted a total of 41 drones over the region by the morning of December 29.
The Russian Ministry of Defense cited similar numbers. Neither source mentioned any attack on a presidential residence or provided evidence that such a target had been identified.
Zelenskyy rejects claims as “complete fabrication”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the accusations outright, calling the statements by Putin and Lavrov false and politically motivated.
“Such statements are clearly aimed at undermining all achievements of our joint work with President Trump’s team. … This alleged ‘residence strike’ story is a complete fabrication intended to justify additional attacks against Ukraine, including Kyiv, as well as Russia’s own refusal to take necessary steps to end the war,” Zelenskyy said.
Russia is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump's team. We keep working together to bring peace closer.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 29, 2025
This alleged "residence strike" story is a complete fabrication intended to justify…
In a post on X, Zelenskyy added that Ukraine does not take steps that could damage diplomacy and urged the international community not to remain silent.
“Ukraine does not take steps that can undermine diplomacy. To the contrary, Russia always takes such steps. This is one of many differences between us,” he wrote.
US Congressman pushes back: “Putin is a well-known liar”
The claims have also drawn criticism in the United States. Congressman Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, publicly cautioned against accepting Moscow’s narrative.
“President Trump and his team should get the facts first before assuming blame. Putin is a well-known boldface liar,” Bacon wrote on X.
President Trump and his team should get the facts first before assuming blame. Putin is a well known boldface liar. https://t.co/wHf1HXWcGM
— Rep. Don Bacon 🇺🇸✈️🏍️⭐️🎖️ (@RepDonBacon) December 29, 2025
When asked by reporters whether there was independent evidence confirming the alleged attack, Trump acknowledged uncertainty.
“Well, we’ll find out. You’re saying maybe the attack didn’t take place? That’s possible, I guess, but President Putin told me this morning,” he said.
Despite the region being heavily monitored by satellites of multiple nations, including NASA FIRMS, which is used frequently to locate fires in Russia after drone or missile strikes, there was no recorded evidence of the strike on Putin’s residence. OSINT analysts also deny the possibility of the attack.
No independent verification has been provided to support Russia’s claim that Ukraine attempted to strike Putin’s residence, and Ukrainian officials continue to insist the allegation is being used to derail diplomatic momentum and justify further escalation.
Earlier, the UK government released a detailed defence and security assessment of the war in Ukraine, with the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard, arguing that Russian battlefield narratives repeatedly collapse when measured against intelligence assessments and operational realities.
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-992da05f4885614fc893eb86a78b1497.jpg "Ptashka Drones optic-fiber FPV drone with a range of 50km. (Source: Ptashka Drones)")
-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
