Overview
- At a Dec. 31 briefing, Russia’s Defense Ministry presented maps, a timeline and wreckage as it claimed 91 drones launched from Sumy and Chernihiv targeted the Novgorod-area residence from 19:20 on Dec. 28 to 08:30 on Dec. 29.
- Air-defense chief Maj. Gen. Alexander Romanenkov said drones were intercepted over Bryansk, Smolensk, Tver and Novgorod regions, reported no Russian casualties or damage, and described one drone as carrying a six‑kilogram explosive charge.
- Ukrainian officials denied attempting the strike, and a U.S. representative to NATO said it remains unclear whether the attack occurred, while independent reporting noted an absence of local footage or alerts consistent with a mass interception.
- Moscow signaled it will reassess its negotiating stance after the episode but continue dialogue with Washington, as Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko condemned the alleged attempt and President Donald Trump voiced anger after being briefed by Vladimir Putin.
- Cross-border and frontline attacks continued: Belgorod authorities reported more than 60 drone incursions in a day with several civilians killed or injured, and Ukrainian officials said overnight strikes damaged energy facilities in Odesa and wounded civilians, including children, in Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions.