US national security officials have found that Ukraine did not target Russian President Vladimir Putin or any of his residences in a recent drone incident, as claimed by Moscow, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
The assessment, which included input from the Central Intelligence Agency, undercuts claims made by Moscow and initially accepted by US President Donald Trump.
According to Reuters, the CIA’s evaluation found no evidence that Ukraine had attempted to strike Putin or any of his residences.
It was also reported that the CIA assessment, briefed to President Donald Trump by Director John Ratcliffe, concluded that the alleged attack on Putin’s Novgorod residence did not take place.
Russia claims drone attack by Kyiv
The Russian allegation emerged on Monday, when Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed that Ukraine had launched dozens of drones targeting Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region.
Lavrov said Moscow would review its negotiating position following the supposed attack.
Later, the defence ministry released video footage showing Major General Alexander Romanenkov describing fragments of a downed Ukrainian Chaklun-V drone carrying a six-kilogram explosive device that, according to Moscow, did not detonate.
The ministry stated that 91 drones had been intercepted, claiming they were headed for Putin’s residence, though details on how their destination was identified remained unclear.
Trump initially expressed concern over the alleged strike. “I don’t like it. It’s not good," the US President said, though he acknowledged that the allegation could be false.
However, following the CIA briefing, Trump appeared more sceptical, sharing a New York Post editorial on Truth Social, accusing Russia of blocking peace in Ukraine.
Ukraine denies allegations
Kyiv has described the accusation as a disinformation campaign designed to strain ties between Ukraine and the United States, particularly after Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which both sides described as cordial and productive, according to Reuters.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry dismissed the footage, saying it was absolutely confident no such attack had taken place.
European officials have also rejected Moscow's claims.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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