Overview
- Russia alleges Ukraine sent 91 long-range drones toward Putin’s Valdai residence and says all were intercepted without damage, citing downings over Bryansk, Smolensk and Novgorod.
- Ukraine flatly denies any attack, calling the story a fabrication meant to justify new strikes and to derail progress on a U.S.-drafted 20-point peace plan.
- Moscow says its negotiating stance will harden and that targets for retaliation have been identified, while Dmitry Medvedev and other officials issued personal threats toward Ukrainian leaders.
- No independently verifiable evidence has been produced, with open-source analysts reporting none; the Kremlin deferred questions about wreckage to the defense ministry, and images shown on Russian channels remain unverified.
- President Donald Trump said he was very angry after Putin briefed him but acknowledged the strike might not have occurred, as China urged restraint and European leaders pressed for transparency to keep talks on track.