Fri Jan 02 09:22:29 UTC 2026: Here’s a summary of the text, followed by a rewritten version as a news article:
Summary:
At the close of 2025, Russia accused Ukraine of a drone attack on President Putin’s residence, a claim Ukraine denies and for which Russia has provided questionable evidence. This accusation follows successful talks between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and U.S. President Trump regarding security guarantees, raising the possibility of a peace agreement. Russia’s accusation has cast doubt over peace and Putin has ordered his forces to continue efforts to seize the unoccupied remainder of the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia. Despite inflated claims of territorial gains and inflicting heavy casualties on Russia, Russia’s military hasn’t made significant progress and has faced setbacks in key areas. Zelenskyy asserts Russia is using the alleged attack as a pretext to avoid peace talks after his meeting with Trump, who initially expressed anger at the reported attack. However, U.S. intelligence suggests Ukraine was not responsible.
News Article:
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Drone Attack on Putin’s Residence, Stalling Peace Talks
MOSCOW – Tensions escalated dramatically between Russia and Ukraine as 2025 drew to a close, with Russia accusing Ukraine of launching a drone attack on President Vladimir Putin’s residence near Lake Valdai. The claim, vehemently denied by Ukraine, threatens to derail nascent hopes for peace following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s successful talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov alleged that Ukraine deployed 91 drones in an attempt to assassinate Putin. Ukraine dismissed the accusation as a fabrication, noting Russia has not provided credible evidence. Independent sources have also cast doubt on Russia’s claims.
“Almost a day passed and Russia still hasn’t provided any plausible evidence to its accusations of Ukraine’s alleged ‘attack on Putin’s residence’. And they won’t. Because there’s none. No such attack happened,” Sybiha said.
The alleged attack emerged shortly after Zelenskyy secured a commitment from Trump for U.S. participation in Ukraine’s security following a potential peace agreement, including the possible deployment of American troops. This development fueled optimism for an early end to the conflict, with Polish Premier Donald Tusk declaring, “Peace is on the horizon.”
Lavrov’s announcement has dampened this optimism as he stated that “Russia’s negotiating position will be reviewed.” On the same day, Putin ordered his forces in southern Ukraine to continue efforts to seize the unoccupied remainder of the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia.
Zelenskyy accused Russia of seeking a pretext to escalate the war and evade peace talks after his meeting with Trump, who initially expressed anger at the alleged attack. However, other U.S. officials, including the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, have voiced skepticism. A Wall Street Journal report states that US intelligence had determined that Ukraine did not target Putin’s residence.
Despite exaggerated reports of battlefield successes, independent analyses indicate Russia’s territorial gains have been limited and come at a significant cost. Ukraine estimates Russian casualties to be in excess of 1.2 million. Ukraine’s General Staff estimated total Russian casualties for the war at more than 1.2 million, almost 11,500 tanks and 24,000 armoured fighting vehicles, more than 37,000 artillery systems, 781 aircraft and well in excess of 4,000 missiles.
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