U.S. national security officials have concluded that Ukraine did not target Russian President Vladimir Putin or any of his residences in a recent drone operation, according to a report citing a Central Intelligence Agency assessment. The review found no evidence of an attempted attack against the Russian leader or his property.
The official report indicates Ukrainian forces may have been striking a military target in the same general region but not close to Putin’s country residence, contradicting Moscow’s earlier accusation that dozens of drones were directed at the presidential estate in the Novgorod region. Kyiv’s foreign minister said Russia has not presented credible proof to support its claims.
In a separate development, a senior Russian military official presented a captured drone component to a U.S. military attaché, asserting it contained data indicating the presidential residence was the intended target. Russian authorities maintained that decryption of the drone’s navigation system confirmed their claim, and they said the findings would be shared with U.S. counterparts.
However, the Russian account has been disputed by Western and Ukrainian officials, who say the interpretation of the evidence is unverified. The differing versions of events highlight continuing tension over narratives in the context of broader diplomatic efforts to resolve the war between Russia and Ukraine.
