Overview
- Reports in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times say a CIA assessment found Ukraine sought a military target in the Novgorod region, not Vladimir Putin’s residence at Valdai.
- Russia maintains Ukraine launched 91 drones at the residence and released video of a downed device it says carried six kilograms of explosives along with claimed flight data.
- John Ratcliffe briefed President Donald Trump on the assessment, after which Trump amplified commentary casting Russia as obstructing peace efforts.
- Separately, Moscow accuses Kyiv of a New Year’s Eve drone strike in Russian-controlled Khorly that killed 24 people, later revised to 27 by the Moscow-appointed governor.
- Ukraine says its forces strike only military objectives, and a Ukrainian defense source asserted the Khorly attack targeted a Russian military gathering as Kyiv warns of Russian disinformation affecting negotiations.