Lithuania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Russia is attempting to sabotage the agreements reached at Mar-a-Lago between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy by spreading false claims about a Ukrainian attack on Vladimir Putin's residence.
The Lithuanian foreign ministry released a statement on X calling the Russian allegations a false flag operation designed to justify potential strikes against Ukraine.
"Kremlin's latest false flag operation to justify possible strikes against Ukraine - nothing new. We recall the botched 'drone attack' on the Kremlin (03.05.2023). Putin not only plans a massive assault on Kyiv, he aims to sabotage the achievements agreed at Mar-a-Lago yesterday," the ministry wrote.
Claims and denials
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed on December 29 that Ukraine allegedly struck Putin's residence in Novgorod Oblast overnight using 91 long-range drones. Lavrov stated this would lead to a "revision of the negotiating position," though Russia supposedly has no intention of withdrawing from the negotiation process with the United States regarding Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the Russian accusations as "another Russian lie."
"We had a meeting with Trump yesterday. It's clear that for the Russians, if we don't have a scandal with the US but instead have progress, then for them it's a failure. They don't want to end this war. I was expecting such statements yesterday. By claiming that some residence was attacked, they are preparing the ground to strike the capital at government buildings," Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president warned that Russia may be preparing another attack on government buildings in the center of Kyiv, similar to the 7 September strike when an Iskander missile hit the Cabinet of Ministers building during a massive combined attack.
"We need to be attentive and expect a strike on the capital. They say they will select appropriate targets—they are threatening," Zelenskyy added.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha characterized Russia's statements about the alleged attack on Putin's residence as an attempt to create a pretext and false justification for further Russian attacks against Ukraine, as well as to undermine and complicate the peace process.
"Typical Russian tactics: accuse the other side of what you are doing or planning yourself," Sybiha wrote.
He emphasized that Ukraine strikes only legitimate military targets on Russian territory in response to Russian strikes on Ukraine, and called on the world to condemn Russia's provocative statements aimed at derailing the constructive peace process.
No evidence of attack
Residents of Valdai in Novgorod Oblast told journalists they noticed neither the arrival of drones nor air defense operations during the alleged attack on Putin's residence on the night of December 29, reports The Moscow Times citing the publication "Mozhem Obyasnit."
Fourteen Valdai residents interviewed by the publication said they heard neither the characteristic noise of drones nor explosions that night. They also reported receiving no SMS alerts about an air threat, which are typically sent during attacks.
One interviewee noted that if something like that had actually happened in the city, it would have become a topic of discussion for all residents. According to him, "there was no buzzing, no explosions."
The Moscow Times notes that Putin's residence "Dolgiye Borody" is located northeast of Valdai, separated from the city by Lake Valdai. Valdai itself has a population of approximately 14,000 people. Local residents, the publication notes, usually know well when Putin is at the residence, particularly due to the noise of helicopters, which is hard to miss.
Trump's reaction
Trump said he was "very angry" about Russia's statements regarding the alleged Ukrainian drone attack on the presidential residence in Novgorod Oblast.
According to Trump, Putin informed him about the attack during a phone conversation. Trump later stated he knew nothing about the alleged attack on Putin's residence but would "find out the circumstances."
Background on Putin's residences
In 2021, the Russian Anti-Corruption Foundation published a video about Putin's official but secret dacha on Lake Valdai in Novgorod Oblast. The organization reported that Putin has four designated residences: the Kremlin, Novo-Ogaryovo in Moscow Oblast, "Bocharov Ruchey" in Sochi, and "Dolgiye Borody" (also known as "Valdai" or "Uzhin") in Novgorod Oblast.
In 2023, "Proyekt" reported that a secret railway and network of stations were built for Putin to access his residences.
In April 2023, it became known that a Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and artillery system was installed at Krasnaya Polyana in Sochi, where Putin's secret residence is located.
In October 2024, the main building at Putin's residence in Sochi was demolished, as he reportedly became afraid to visit the resort after Ukrainian drone attacks.
