Overview
- Russia released video of Admiral Igor Kostyukov giving a recovered drone navigation controller to a U.S. military attache in Moscow, asserting decoded data showed a Novgorod presidential compound as the target.
- A CIA assessment briefed to President Trump found no credible evidence that Ukrainian drones were aimed at a Putin residence, prompting the president to shift to public skepticism of Russia’s claim.
- Russian-installed officials in occupied Kherson said three drones struck a cafe and hotel in Khorly, reporting at least 24 dead and more than 50 injured, as federal investigators opened a case.
- Ukrainian authorities have not acknowledged responsibility for Khorly and say their forces strike only military or energy sites, while Kyiv’s prosecutors reported separate Russian attacks in Kherson that killed one person and injured several on January 1.
- Independent corroboration of the alleged Novgorod targeting and the full casualty toll in Khorly remains unavailable, with competing accounts under review by investigators and intelligence services.