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The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has told US president Donald Trump that Ukraine did not attempt to assassinate Vladimir Putin, contradicting Russian claims that Ukrainian drones targeted one of the Russian president’s residences.
US intelligence assessed the allegation as false, indicating Putin misrepresented the incident.
Earlier, Russia released videos of alleged drone wreckage and claimed it had decoded files proving the attack, but Ukraine called the footage “laughable” and accused Moscow of staging the incident to derail the peace talks.
Meanwhile, the two countries exchanged drone strikes on each other’s energy grids as the New Year began, according to local officials.
On New Year’s Eve, Russia claimed Ukrainian drones struck a cafe and hotel in the occupied village of Khorly, Kherson region, killing 24 and injuring at least 50, with one drone reportedly carrying an incendiary mixture.
Ukraine denied targeting civilians, saying its strikes hit only Russian military and energy sites.
The incident occurred amid ongoing peace talks, which Kyiv says Russia is trying to sabotage, including false claims of a drone attack on Putin’s residence.
Rebecca Whittaker2 January 2026 04:00
Kyiv’s forces exclusively targeted Russian military or energy sites, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said when asked about a drone strike on a hotel in a Russian-held part of Kherson region.
Speaking to Interfax Ukraine news agency on Thursday they said: “The Defence Forces of Ukraine adhere to the norms of international humanitarian law and strike exclusively at enemy military targets, fuel and energy facilities of the Russian Federation, and other legitimate targets…,”
Rebecca Whittaker2 January 2026 03:00
Sam Kiley, The Independent’s World Affairs Editor, charts the 2025 Ukraine–Russia war timeline, detailing battlefield shifts, strained diplomacy, wavering support and the mounting civilian toll — with no end in sight.
Rebecca Whittaker2 January 2026 02:00
A meeting of national security advisors “focused on peace” is set to take place in Ukraine this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
It’s set to be followed by a meeting of the military and of European leaders and the leaders of the Coalition of the Willing.
“Politically, almost everything is ready, and it is important to work through every detail of how the guarantees will function in the air, on land, and at sea – if we succeed in ending the war. And this is the key goal for all normal people,” Zelensky said in a post on X.
Rebecca Whittaker2 January 2026 01:00
Putin used his annual televised New Year’s address to rally his troops fighting in Ukraine, saying he believed in them and in victory in a war that he has framed as part of an existential struggle with the West.
It comes as Trump is trying to broker an end to the nearly four-year-old conflict, Europe’s bloodiest conflagration since World War Two, with both sides’ negotiating stances still far apart.
Tara Cobham2 January 2026 00:00
Russia attacked the Ukrainian region of Odesa overnight, targeting civilian infrastructure in several waves of drone attacks, according to regional head Oleh Kiper.
In a post on Telegram, he said a two-storey residential building was damaged and a drone hit an apartment on the 17th floor of a high-rise building without detonating. There were no casualties reported.
Tara Cobham1 January 2026 23:00
Russia’s claim that Ukraine launched a 91-drone strike on Vladimir Putin’s personal residence has threatened to derail months of talks over a peace deal to end Moscow’s invasion.
“I am sure they are simply preparing the ground for strikes, probably on the capital, probably on government buildings,” he said.
Tara Cobham1 January 2026 22:00
Tara Cobham1 January 2026 21:00
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is discussing the possibility of hosting US troops as part of peace talks with US President Donald Trump.
Mr Zelensky said that a US troop presence in Ukraine would provide significant security guarantees for Kyiv.
The White House declined to comment on the issue.
Tara Cobham1 January 2026 20:00