What is behind the alleged assault on Putin’s residence? | EUROtoday

What does Russia accuse Ukraine of?

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Ukraine of attacking a presidential residence within the Novgorod area in a single day with 91 long-range assault drones. No one was injured, he mentioned. At the identical time, Lavrov introduced retaliation. Russia has already recognized targets in Ukraine, he mentioned.

Russia didn’t publish any proof. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned this was not crucial – Russian anti-aircraft defenses repelled the assault. If there’s particles from downed drones, the army is accountable.

Peskov accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of attempting to kill Putin. His Christmas speech exhibits this. Zelensky mentioned on Christmas Eve that if each Ukrainian had one want, it might be “that he die.” He did not point out a reputation, however this could possibly be referred to Putin. Zelensky continued: “But when we turn to God, of course we ask for more. We ask for peace for Ukraine.”

What does Ukraine say concerning the allegations?

It did not take lengthy for the Ukrainian president to reply: it was “another round of lies.” Their intention is to justify further assaults on Ukraine and to delay the conflict, which has been ongoing for the reason that invasion in February 2022. “This story about the alleged attack on the residence is a complete fabrication,” he mentioned.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha referred to as on world leaders to sentence Russia for its claims: “Almost a day has passed and Russia has still not provided plausible evidence for its accusations (…). And they won’t. Because there is none. There was no such attack.”

Where is the residence and the place was Putin?

The Valdai Residence is situated within the Novgorod area about midway between Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The residence, additionally referred to as “Ushin” or “Dolgie Borody”, is a closely guarded complicated on the shore of Lake Valdai in the midst of a spruce forest.

The Russian head of state has a number of residences, however in keeping with unofficial studies, he’s supposed to satisfy together with his household in Valdai particularly. According to media analysis, the anti-aircraft protection across the giant property was strengthened in the summertime.

It is unclear the place Putin was on the time talked about. However, he had conferences within the Kremlin on Saturday and Monday. Putin has not but commented publicly on the scenario. Kremlin spokesman Peskov mentioned Tuesday that such particulars shouldn’t be made public in gentle of latest occasions.

What do consultants and observers say concerning the accusation?

Russia has supplied no proof of the alleged assault. The Kremlin referred to US intelligence providers: they might analyze satellite tv for pc photographs that might show the assault. Military professional Erich Schmidt-Eenboom believes such an analysis is a viable choice. High-resolution satellite tv for pc photographs might seize drones, however “they do not capture whether they were launched from Ukrainian or Russian territory,” he mentioned within the each day information.

Some observers and consultants speculate whether or not the assault was utterly faux. According to their evaluation, such an assault by Ukraine is virtually doable, says ARD correspondent Judith Schacht“but it wouldn’t make sense because the residence is so well secured that you actually hardly have a chance of getting hit.”

The Russian Internet platform Sota identified that, in keeping with residents of the area, no anti-aircraft fireplace could possibly be heard. According to the US Institute for War Studies (ISW), the web studies about rubble or fires on the bottom which can be in any other case widespread in drone assaults had been additionally lacking. “The circumstances of this alleged attack do not correspond to the pattern of evidence observed when Ukrainian forces carry out attacks on Russia,” it mentioned.

How does the USA react?

Russian President Putin knowledgeable US President Donald Trump concerning the incident on Monday. “I don’t like that. That’s not good,” Trump informed reporters. “It’s one thing to be offensive. It’s another thing to attack your house. It’s not the right time for something like that. And I found out about it today from President Putin. I was very angry about it.” The US President didn’t publicly query whether or not the Kremlin’s declare was credible. What this implies for the peace talks can not but be estimated.

Where had been the drones purported to have been shot down?

In earlier studies on Ukrainian army actions, the Russian Defense Ministry had not talked about any assault on the residence. On Monday morning it spoke of 89 Ukrainian drones that had been intercepted over varied areas – 18 of them over the Novgorod area.

After Lavrov’s assertion, the Russian Defense Ministry modified its account – 91 drones had been shot down on the best way to the presidential residence: 49 over the Bryansk area, which is 450 kilometers from Valdai, one over the Smolensk area and 41 over the closely forested Novgorod area and one over the Smolensk area.

Is this the primary accusation of this sort?

As early as 2023, Russia accused Ukraine of plotting to assassinate Putin. At that point, a number of explosions had been heard over the Kremlin. According to Russian studies, Ukraine is alleged to have tried to kill the president in a drone assault. Ukraine denied any involvement. The New York Times newspaper later reported that US intelligence suspected the Ukrainian safety providers had been behind the assault. However, it was unclear whether or not Zelensky or his prime officers knew concerning the operation.

In latest months, the Ukrainian secret service SBU attracted consideration with assaults on a Russian submarine. The Ukrainian army can also be concentrating on Moscow, the place airports need to be closed repeatedly resulting from huge drone assaults. However, these weren’t focused assaults to kill Putin.

What does the accusation imply for a doable Peace course of?

Recently there had been some progress within the talks. Ukrainian President Zelensky and US President Trump mentioned an adjusted 20-point peace plan at his non-public residence Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Sunday and apparently reached preliminary compromises. Among different issues, Trump had supplied safety ensures for a interval of 15 years with the potential of extension. Zelenskyj mentioned he was happy, but in addition emphasised that he would really like it to final considerably longer. Before and after the dialog, Trump spoke to Putin on the telephone.

The unsubstantiated allegations from Russia are actually more likely to make additional negotiations way more troublesome – particularly since Trump initially supported the Russian illustration and didn’t doubt it.

Moscow itself introduced that it didn’t wish to break off talks to finish the conflict. But the negotiating place should now be checked, mentioned Kremlin spokesman Peskov. “The diplomatic consequence will be a tightening of the Russian Federation’s negotiating position.” Russia has not but made any main concessions.

How are Ukraine’s allies reacting?

Heads of state and authorities from Europe and Canada have already met for consultations, particulars usually are not but recognized. Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared on the web service X: “We are pushing the peace process forward.” At the identical time, he referred to as for “transparency and honesty from everyone – including Russia.”

After the dialog, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote of a “good discussion” about help for Ukraine, the nation’s safety and its reconstruction.

With materials from Reuters and dpa.