Khaberni - The Russian Ministry of Defense released today, Wednesday, what it stated as "new evidence" to support its accusation of Ukraine launching a coordinated attack on the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, the European Union has doubted the Russian narrative, considering it a new attempt to "distract attention".
Brigadier General Alexander Romaninikov, commander of the anti-aircraft missile units in the Russian Aerospace Forces, said that "the attack carried out by Ukraine" using drones on the official residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Novgorod was targeted, precisely planned, and multi-staged."
The Russian military official displayed at the Ministry of Defense headquarters a map showing the routes of the drone movements, along with video clips from the air defense control system demonstrating moments of drones being shot down.
Romaninikov explained that Ukraine "attempted on the night of December 28–29 to carry out a terrorist attack on the official headquarters of the Russian state presidency in the Novgorod region using long-range drones, launched from the Ukrainian areas of Sumy and Chernihiv, and flying at very low altitudes."
The Russian official added that the attack was carried out using 91 drones, and followed multiple paths through the Bryansk, Smolensk, Tver, and Novgorod regions towards the Russian state presidency headquarters, confirming "the destruction of all Ukrainian drones by the Russian forces and air defense systems."
He noted that repelling the attack resulted in no human losses or damage within Russian territory, nor did Putin's residence sustain any damages.
Romaninikov further stated that "the pattern of the attack, the number of aerial attack means involved, and the direct movements from the south, southwest, and west towards the Russian state presidency headquarters in the Novgorod region, clearly confirm that the terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime was directed, precisely planned, and multi-staged."
European Doubts
In response, the EU's Foreign Policy Commissioner Kaya Kalas stated that "Russia's claim that Ukraine recently targeted the official residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin is nothing but deliberate misinformation and a new attempt to distract attention."
Kalas added in a post on the "X" platform that Moscow is using these claims to hinder any real progress towards peace between Ukraine and its Western partners.
"No one should believe these baseless claims by the aggressor, especially since Russia has been indiscriminately targeting Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians since the beginning of the war," she continued.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied that his country had attempted to target the official residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin using drones.
In turn, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Siebiga stated in a post on the X platform: "Almost a day has passed and Russia has not presented any reasonable evidence to support its accusations of Ukraine launching an alleged attack on Putin's residence. And it won’t, because there is no evidence. Such an attack did not happen."
Since February 24, 2022, Russia has been launching a military attack on its neighbor Ukraine and conditions its end on Kyiv's renunciation of joining Western military entities, which Kyiv considers an "intervention" in its affairs.
