President Donald Trump on Sunday (January 4, 2026) told reporters that U.S. officials have determined that Ukraine did not target a residence belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack last week, disputing Kremlin claims that Mr. Trump had initially greeted with deep concern.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week said Ukraine launched a wave of drones at Mr. Putin’s state residence in the northwestern Novgorod region that the Russian defence systems were able to defeat. Mr. Lavrov also criticized Kyiv for launching the attack at a moment of intensive negotiations to end the war.
PM Modi voices deep concern over targeting of Putin's residence
The allegation came just a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had travelled to Florida for talks with Mr. Trump on the U.S. administration's still-evolving 20-point plan aimed at ending the war, and had Mr. Zelenskyy quickly deny it.
Mr. Trump said that “something happened nearby” Mr. Putin's residence but that Americans officials didn't find the Russian President's residence was targeted.
