Russia claims that Ukraine attacked Putin's residence to torpedo the chances of achieving peace. However, a number of experts express doubts. Here's why:
Russia claims that Ukraine attacked Vladimir Putin's presidential residence in the Novgorod region with 91 long-range drones, the aim of which was to torpedo the chances of achieving peace.
No one was injured, Lavrov added, but he threatened revenge, as Russia had already identified targets in Ukraine.
Is there evidence?
No such evidence was disclosed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that this was not necessary - Russian air defenses repelled the attacks. However, Peskov described the attack as a "terrorist act".
At the same time, the Kremlin spokesman accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of trying to take Putin's life - referring to his Christmas message, in which Zelensky said that every Ukrainian has one wish and that is "for him to die", without explicitly mentioning Putin by name.
What does Ukraine say about the accusations?
The Ukrainian president's response was not long in coming: it was "another series of lies", Kiev claims. Their goal was to justify further attacks on Ukraine and prolong the war. "The story of the alleged attack on the residence is pure fiction", Zelensky said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibikha called on world leaders to condemn Russia for its claims: "Almost a whole day has passed and Russia has not yet presented convincing evidence for its accusations. They are not going to do so. There has been no such attack."
Where is the residence located?
The "Valdai" residence is located in the Novgorod region between Moscow and St. Petersburg. It is a heavily guarded complex on the shores of Lake Valdai amidst spruce forests.
The Russian head of state has many residences. According to unofficial data, he meets with his family in Valdai, ARD writes. The German public media also notes that the residence's air defenses have been strengthened since the summer.
What do experts say about the accusations?
Russia has never provided evidence of the attack. The Kremlin has passed the ball to the American secret services: they could analyze satellite images proving the attack. Military expert Erich Schmidt-Enboom told ARD that high-quality satellite images could also register the drones. "But it cannot be understood from them whether the drones took off from Ukrainian or Russian territory."
According to some observers, the attack may be a complete fabrication. In principle, it is possible, but as ARD correspondent in Kiev Judith Schacht notes, "it would be pointless, since the residence is so heavily fortified that there is really no chance of it being hit".
The Russian Internet platform "Sota" indicates that local residents did not hear any shots from the air defense. According to the American Institute for the Study of War, there are also no reports of trenches or fires, which are common in drone attacks. "The circumstances of this alleged attack do not fit the pattern typical of the attack by Ukrainian units against Russia", the institute notes.
Political scientist Christian Hacke also believes that this is most likely a propaganda campaign by Russia. "There is probably no evidence", he summarized to ARD. Putin could use the alleged attack to buy time for the army to seize more territory.
How did the US react?
The Russian president immediately informed his American counterpart Donald Trump about the incident. "I don't like this. This is not good", Trump told reporters. "Now is not the time. It's one thing to insult because they do. It's another to attack his house. This is not the right time for something like this. I found out about it from President Putin and I was very angry."
The American president clearly does not doubt the words of his Russian counterpart.
Is this the first such accusation?
Russia accused Ukraine back in 2023 of preparing Putin's assassination, ARD recalls. At that time, multiple explosions were heard around the Kremlin. The Russian side claimed that Ukraine had attempted to assassinate the president with a drone strike. Ukraine categorically denied this. The "New York Times" later wrote that US intelligence agencies did not rule out that the attack was planned by Ukrainian security services. But it remains unknown whether Zelensky or some of his top officials knew about the operation.
In recent months, Ukrainian services have attracted attention with attacks on a Russian submarine. Moscow has also repeatedly accused the Ukrainian military of using drones to attack Russian airports, which have had to be closed. But these are not attempts on the Russian president.
What do the accusations mean for the peace process?
Some progress has been made recently in the peace talks. Ukrainian President Zelensky and US President Trump discussed the 20-point peace plan and apparently reached some compromises. Trump has offered security guarantees for a period of 15 years with the possibility of extension. Zelensky has shown satisfaction, but has stressed that he would like the period to be much longer. Before and after the meeting, Trump spoke with Putin.
Russia's unproven accusations will make further negotiations more difficult - given that Trump stands behind Russia's position and does not doubt it, ARD notes.
Moscow, for its part, has announced that it does not want to interrupt talks to end the war. But the negotiating positions must be reconsidered, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said. "The diplomatic consequence will be a hardening of the Russian Federation's negotiating position." Moreover, Russia has not made any major concessions so far, ARD recalls.