In his statement, Lavrov reported that on the night of December 29, 2025, the Kyiv authorities attempted to carry out a terrorist attack, deploying 91 strike drones to target the state residence of the Russian president.
The Russian air defense forces destroyed all the drones. There was no information about casualties or damage from debris.
Lavrov also emphasized that this attack occurred against the backdrop of active negotiations between Russia and the United States regarding the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict.
He warned that such actions would not go unanswered, and Russia has already identified targets and timing for possible retaliatory strikes.
Despite the ongoing situation, Lavrov noted that Russia does not intend to withdraw from the negotiation process with the United States. However, he added that due to changes in the policy of the Kyiv regime, which has resorted to terrorism, Russia will reconsider its negotiation strategy.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the air defense successfully repelled the attack of 91 Ukrainian drones: 41 over the Novgorod region, 49 over Bryansk, and one over Smolensk.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov reported that Vladimir Putin informed U.S. President Donald Trump about this situation during a phone call on December 29. Ushakov noted that Trump was shocked and outraged by the news of Ukraine's attempt to attack Putin's residence, adding that he could not even imagine "such insane actions."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied Lavrov's statement, calling it a lie, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
He added that Russia is trying to prepare the ground for an attack on government buildings in Kyiv.
“This is another lie from Russia. We had a meeting with Trump, and for the Russians, if there is no conflict between us — and we have progress, it means their failure. They do not wish to end the war and are looking for reasons to pressure us,” Zelensky noted.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga stated that Russia "fabricated" this story to create a pretext for further attacks on Ukraine and to undermine the peace process.
He emphasized that Ukraine strikes exclusively at legitimate military targets on Russian territory in response to aggression against Ukraine.
