Overview
- Russian officials claim Ukraine launched 91 long-range drones at a presidential residence in the Novgorod region, saying all were intercepted without casualties or damage and offering no independently verifiable evidence.
- Ukraine flatly denies any attack, with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha saying Russia has produced no plausible proof and President Volodymyr Zelensky calling the claim a pretext for new strikes.
- The Kremlin labels the alleged operation a terrorist act, says targets and timing for retaliation have been selected, and signals a tougher negotiating posture while staying in the talks.
- President Donald Trump says he was informed by Vladimir Putin and is “very angry,” yet acknowledges the attack may not have occurred; China urges no escalation and European leaders convene to assess the diplomatic path.
- Russian missile and drone strikes were reported in Ukraine overnight and authorities ordered evacuations in the Chernihiv region, even as negotiators cite progress on a U.S. 20-point framework with territorial questions and security guarantees still unresolved.