Extract from ABC News
Russia claims a new video shows the remains of a Ukrainian drone that attempted to strike one of Putin's residences. (Reuters: Russian Defence Ministry)
In short:
Moscow has released video of what it says are fragments of a Ukrainian drone it claims was shot down en route to Russian President Vladimir Putin's residence.
The video is the first alleged evidence released by Moscow in an effort to prove Kyiv deliberately targeted the Russian leader's home.
What's next?
Russia's claim has been largely denied and dismissed by both Ukraine and the international community, including high-ranking members of the European Union.
Russia has released video footage it says supports its claim Ukraine deliberately fired dozens of long-range drones at one of Vladimir Putin's residences.
Earlier in the week Moscow alleged Ukraine launched an attack on the Russian president's state residence in Russia's Novgorod region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied Moscow's allegations about the attack, with other Ukrainian officials dismissing the new footage as "laughable".
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed Kyiv used 91 long-range drones, all of which he alleged had been shot down by air defence systems.
More than half, according to the defence ministry in Moscow, were intercepted several hundred kilometres away.
They did not explain how they knew the drones were headed for the residence near Lake Valdai.
Officials in other countries and experts spoken to by the ABC also cast doubt on the claim.
This was in part over its timing — just a day after the US and Ukraine held progressive peace talks at US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
The CIA found Ukraine had not targeted the home of Mr Putin, according to CNN, which cited White House officials.
A US national security official briefed on the CIA's findings said they had found no attempted attack had even occurred, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The official said Ukraine had been seeking to strike a military target located in the same region as Putin's residence, but was not aiming close to the property.
But overnight, Russia released footage it said showed a Russian serviceman standing with fragments of a device that he said was a downed Ukrainian Chaklun V-drone, carrying a 6-kilogram explosive device that had not detonated.
The model of the device, as well as the date and location of where the video was taken, could not be verified by Reuters.
The video showed a Russian service member standing next to the remains of an alleged drone. (Reuters: Russian Defence Ministry/Handout)
Other footage allegedly showed a resident of a village in Novgorod stating he had heard air defence rockets in action.
His statement contradicted reports from residents in the village of Valdai, who told independent outlet The Moscow Times they did not hear anything that night.
Fourteen residents said they had received no text alerts of a drone threat, or any buzzing or explosions characteristic of a drone attack.
"There was no noise that night, no explosions, nothing," one was quoted as saying.
"If something like that had happened, the whole town would have been talking about it."
Russia accused of 'sloppy' attempt to derail peace talks
Russia was accused of making the allegations to derail ongoing peace talks.
It made its claims on Monday, local time, not long after Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump held what was described as a positive meeting.
After publicly making the allegations, Mr Lavrov said Russia would be reviewing its position on peace.
A spokesperson for Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Heorhii Tykhyi, said the allegation did not "hold water".
"What is the point of attacking Putin's residences if they are precisely where he places his maximum air defences?" he said on social media.
"All they needed is to create a false (and quite sloppy) justification for Russia to reject peace efforts that have recently accelerated thanks to active work by Ukraine and the United States."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the story "a complete fabrication".
"Russia is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump's team," he said.
"Typical Russian lies."
After Mr Zelenskyy dismissed the allegations, former Russian president and prime minister Dmitry Medvedev took to social media to issue a personal threat.
Mr Zelenskyy, he wrote on X, would have to "stay in hiding for the rest of his worthless life".
Mr Medvedev has served as deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council since 2020.
In a separate post on Telegram, he appeared to suggest Mr Zelenskyy should be "exhibited" in St Petersburg following his "imminent demise".
The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas also rejected Russia's claims and called it a deliberate attempt to derail the peace process.
"Russia's claim that Ukraine recently targeted key government sites in Russia is a deliberate distraction," she said.
"Moscow aims to derail real progress towards peace by Ukraine and its Western partners.
"No-one should accept unfounded claims from the aggressor, who has indiscriminately targeted Ukraine's infrastructure and civilians since the start of the war."
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