U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Ukraine did not attack President Vladimir Putin’s Valdai residence this week, contradicting Moscow’s official account, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
Russian authorities had alleged a large-scale Ukrainian drone operation targeted the residence in the Novgorod region. Kyiv dismissed the claim, suggesting it was an attempt to disrupt U.S.-mediated peace talks.
According to a U.S. official, CIA assessment found no evidence of an attack on the presidential residence. Instead, Ukrainian forces reportedly targeted a military facility elsewhere in the region, far from Valdai.
The allegation surfaced amid heightened tensions over stalled negotiations. Shortly before the report was published, U.S. President Donald Trump shared an editorial suggesting Russia was obstructing peace efforts and that any strike on Putin could be “justified.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry later presented a map and video purporting to show intercepted drones, stating over half were downed near the Ukrainian border—hundreds of kilometers from Valdai. Moscow also indicated it would adjust its negotiation stance following the alleged attack, a move analysts see as a potential tactic to slow diplomatic progress.
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