Overview
- Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov alleged Ukraine sent 91 long-range drones toward the Valdai residence in Novgorod and said all were intercepted with no casualties or damage.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine’s foreign minister rejected the claim as a fabrication and said Russia has provided no plausible proof.
- The Kremlin said it will continue negotiations but will harden its position, and officials warned of retaliatory strikes with targets already identified.
- President Donald Trump said he was very angry after Putin briefed him on the report, later acknowledging it was possible the alleged strike did not occur.
- International reactions included concern from India and a de‑escalation call from China, as independent confirmation of the alleged attack remained absent and Russian rhetoric against Zelensky intensified.