Overview
- Russia’s Defense Ministry and GRU said they decrypted drone navigation data from December 29 and handed a component and route maps to a U.S. embassy representative in Moscow.
- U.S. media report the CIA judged the strike was aimed at a military site in the same region, not at Putin or his Valdai residence, a view echoed by Ukraine.
- Overnight and New Year attacks continued, with Ukraine reporting 205 Russian attack drones and damage to its energy grid, while Russian outlets cited Ukrainian hits on oil facilities in Kaluga, Krasnodar and Tatarstan.
- The Russian-installed Kherson governor alleged three Ukrainian drones killed at least 24 civilians in Khorly; Kyiv reiterated it strikes only military and other lawful targets, and the claims have not been independently verified.
- Ukraine’s General Staff claimed large Russian daily losses and reported hits on command posts, a Tor-M2 air-defense system and a drone depot in Donetsk, as international consultations on security guarantees move forward.