Trying to convince Donald Trump of a Ukrainian attack: Vladimir Putin.Image: keystone
Russia says it has decoded navigation data from a Ukrainian drone that is supposed to prove an allegedly planned attack on a residence of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin.
Jan 02, 2026, 06:43Jan 02, 2026, 06:43
The materials with decrypted routing data in a folder and a component of the drone were handed over to a representative of the military attaché at the US Embassy in Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The ministry also released a video of this unusual encounter between the head of the Russian military intelligence service GRU, Igor Kostyukov, and the uniformed men. Ukraine has been calling the Russian allegations a lie for days – with the aim of justifying strikes against government buildings in Kiev.
Moscow showed drone in the forest in the snow
Russian intelligence experts decrypted the data, GRU leader Kostyukov, who rarely appears in public, said in the video. This clearly proves that this drone was intended to carry out a terrorist attack on Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region on December 29, 2025. Russia hopes that this will help find the truth, said Admiral Kostyukov. The Russian side did not provide any information about the names of the US representatives and their positions.
Since December 29, Russia has claimed that Ukraine attempted to attack Putin’s Valdai residence with combat drones. All drones were shot down. After days of demands from Ukraine to provide evidence, the Defense Ministry in Moscow released several videos on New Year’s Eve. Also visible was a drone in a forest in the snow, maps with flight routes and times and alleged eyewitnesses.
Responding to Reports of CIA Conclusion
Putin also informed US President Donald Trump about the drone attacks on Monday. The Kremlin said that although Russia did not want to withdraw from the negotiations initiated by Trump to end the war, it would take a tougher position. Kiev and Moscow accuse each other of using the incident to disrupt peace negotiations.
It is undisputed that Ukraine also attacks Russian targets on a daily basis in its fight against Putin’s war of aggression. However, there are doubts about the Russian representation that Putin’s residence was the target.
According to media, CIA sees no attack on Putin’s residence
The handover of material to the USA is also seen as a response to reports in the American media that the US foreign intelligence agency CIA had determined that the Ukrainian drones did not target Putin’s residence. Trump was also informed about this, it was said. The US President had criticized the allegedly planned attack on Putin – to the delight of the Kremlin. Russian commentators had criticized the CIA leadership as pro-Ukrainian and mendacious.
For almost four years, Ukraine has been defending itself with Western help against a war of aggression against its neighboring country ordered by Putin. (sda/dpa/con)