Russia Releases Video Claiming Ukrainian Drone Targeted Putin Residence as Ukraine, EU Cast Doubt

Overview

• Russia’s Defense Ministry published night-time video and displayed debris it says came from a downed Ukrainian Chaklun-V drone near a Novgorod presidential residence, with a general asserting 91 drones were launched and no damage or injuries occurred.
• Ukraine categorically denies any attack, calls the imagery fabricated, and says Moscow has provided no concrete proof that can be independently verified.
• EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas calls the Russian allegation unfounded and a deliberate distraction from ongoing diplomatic efforts.
• Separately, Ukrainian officials report Russian drone strikes in Odessa that damaged residential, logistics, and energy sites and injured civilians, including three children, with additional injuries reported in Dnipropetrovsk.
• Regional authorities in Russia report injuries from drone incidents in Tuapse and Belgorod, while a pro-Russia official in Kherson alleges 24 deaths from a New Year’s drone strike without presenting evidence and with no immediate Ukrainian comment.