Moscow, Russia – Tensions between Moscow and Kyiv have escalated after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone attack targeting the residence of President Vladimir Putin,
while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied these accusations.
He described them as “lies,” while US President Donald Trump expressed his shock
at the information Putin had conveyed to him about the incident.
Lavrov said on Monday that Ukraine had carried out a “terrorist attack”
using drones targeting the presidential residence in the Novgorod region.
shoot down all the drones
He noted that the Russian air defense systems were able to shoot down all the drones and prevent any damage.
He added that Moscow considered the incident a serious escalation on the part of Kyiv,
which would have direct repercussions on the course of the war and Russia’s negotiating positions.
TASS news agency quoted Lavrov as saying that the Russian leadership had already defined the objectives and timing of the military response.
He stressed that an attempt to target the presidential headquarters would lead to
a change in Moscow’s stance on negotiations aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy categorically denied the Russian accusations.
He argued that Moscow is using “media escalation” to undermine any progress in the Ukrainian-American talks.
He accused Russia of seeking to fabricate pretexts to justify new attacks,
warning of Russian preparations to carry out strikes against government buildings in the capital, Kyiv.
He called on Washington to take a decisive stance to deter any potential escalation.
Developments in the war
In a parallel development, the Kremlin announced that a “positive” telephone call took place
between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Donald Trump,
which addressed developments in the war in Ukraine.
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said Trump was shocked.
This came after Putin informed him that the presidential residence had been attacked by drones,
and he confirmed that Putin held Ukraine responsible for the incident.
These developments come at a time when Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on key issues,
most notably the issue of territory and security guarantees.
This is despite limited indications of progress in some diplomatic tracks,
leaving the prospects for a political settlement hostage to further escalation and international tensions.
