Overview
- Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed 91 long-range Ukrainian drones targeted the Dolgiye Borody residence in the Novgorod region and said all were downed without damage or injuries.
- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the account as false and accused Moscow of trying to sabotage diplomacy and justify further strikes on Ukraine.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry reported 89 drones downed nationwide and only 18 over Novgorod, highlighting discrepancies with Lavrov’s tally and his unusual role in announcing such incidents.
- The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin told President Trump the alleged attack would lead Russia to revise its negotiating position, while the White House called their call productive and offered no detailed readout.
- Lavrov said targets and timing for retaliatory strikes have been set, and no independent evidence has been made public as the claim looms over recent U.S.–Ukraine talks that had shown signs of progress.