Both the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA) have concluded that Ukraine did not attempt to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence. This was reported on Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal, as well as PBS and CNN, citing unnamed representatives of the US government, according to the DPA and Reuters agencies.
The CIA declined to comment publicly on the claims, but an informed US official confirmed the information to reporters.
The attack was reportedly not close
“Ukraine attempted to attack a military target that Kiev had previously attacked. It is in the same region as Putin’s country residence, but not close to it,” the US official said.
PBS and CNN reported that Trump was briefed on the CIA’s findings by its director, John Ratcliffe, on Wednesday. On the same day, the US president shared a critical article about Russia on his Truth Social platform, in which the New York Post tabloid portrays Putin as the real obstacle to peace in the war with Ukraine and sharply criticizes him.
Lavrov o terror
The alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Putin’s residence near the city of Valdai in the Novgorod region was reported on Monday by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who described it as an attempted “terrorist attack”. Lavrov claimed that on the night of December 28-29, Ukraine sent 91 long-range drones to Putin’s residence, but all were destroyed by Russian air defenses. According to Lavrov, Moscow will react to this attack, while also reassessing its position in the peace negotiations, from which it will not withdraw.
Putin’s adviser on foreign policy Yuriy Ushakov later said that the head of the Kremlin also informed Trump about this by phone, who the day before held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida for almost three hours. After the phone call with Putin, Trump said he was “very angry,” but also admitted that “the attack may not have happened.”
Ukraine and analysts reject the accusations
Two days after Putin announced a Ukrainian drone attack on his residence, the Russian Ministry of Defense published an alleged map of Ukrainian drone movements. It also published a video capturing the alleged wreckage of a drone sent by Ukraine to the residence.
In his posts on social networks, Zelensky vehemently rejected Russia’s accusations and accused Moscow of trying to sabotage the peace talks. He called the attack on Putin’s residence a fabrication aimed at justifying further attacks against Ukraine, as well as Russia’s refusal to take the necessary steps to end the war.
Analysts from the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also questioned the claims of the alleged attack.
