U.S. intelligence officials confirmed on Wednesday that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) does not believe Ukraine attempted to hit a residence linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a recently reported drone operation in northern Russia.
The assessment challenges a statement Putin allegedly made during a phone call with President Donald Trump on Monday, where the Russian leader claimed a Ukrainian attack had been directed at his property. Trump had initially echoed the claim publicly, saying he felt “angry” and “disturbed” by the reported incident, while also admitting it “could be false.”
Shortly after, CIA Director John Ratcliffe delivered a classified briefing to Trump, relaying the agency’s conclusion that Ukraine was not targeting any residence used by Putin. The intelligence update reportedly shifted Trump’s position toward skepticism.
Following the briefing, Trump shared a link on Truth Social to an editorial published by the New York Post, which criticized Kremlin messaging and suggested that Russia’s claims were obstructing peace efforts. The editorial also asserted that the drone strike may not have happened at all, citing Ukraine’s strong denial and the Kremlin’s admission that it held no verifiable evidence.
Diplomatic Tensions and Rhetoric
Earlier on Wednesday, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas described the Kremlin’s claims as a “planned diversion”, while European Union foreign affairs representative called the narrative a “calculated distraction.”
Analysts across Europe suggested that Russia’s statement may have been designed to influence public perception during sensitive peace talks, particularly after Trump’s recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump had expressed optimism after the meeting, saying progress toward peace was achievable. However, European officials viewed the Putin-linked drone narrative as an effort to redirect diplomatic pressure without directly blaming Trump.
Rocket and Drone Allegations from Moscow
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, 91 drones were reportedly launched from northern Ukraine toward a Putin residence near Valdai, in Russia’s Novgorod region, during drills between early morning hours on Monday. The ministry claimed that more than 50% were intercepted far from the region, while the remainder were stopped over Novgorod between 3:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. local time.
Russia’s Defense Ministry also released a flight path map allegedly tracking the drones’ routes, though the ministry did not clarify how it confirmed the intended target was Valdai.
Ukraine denied all allegations regarding the strike, saying it had no involvement in targeting Putin’s home or initiating such an attack.