Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday accused Ukraine of launching 91 drones against Putin’s official residence in the Novgorod region, which lies between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Lavrov added that a Russian air defense system had shot the drones down.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied the claim and accused Russia of derailing peace talks, following his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida Sunday.
“Russia is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump’s team,” Zelenskyy said on Monday, calling the accusations “a complete fabrication intended to justify additional attacks against Ukraine, including Kyiv, as well as Russia’s own refusal to take necessary steps to end the war.”
France appeared to side with Zelenskyy’s version on Tuesday. In a statement, an aide to President Emmanuel Macron said Paris had found “no solid evidence to corroborate the serious accusations made by the Russian authorities, even after cross-checking the information with our partners.”
“The Russian authorities themselves are saying everything and its opposite about what really happened,” the statement added, portraying the accusations as an attempt by Moscow to undermine the peace process.
But Russia’s claim nonetheless triggered condemnation of the alleged attack from Russia-aligned countries and the United States.