LONDON — A high Russian official on Monday issued private threats towards Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Russia claimed that Ukraine launched a drone assault on considered one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official residences.
Russian Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov alleged that Ukraine launched a drone assault on Putin’s state residence in Novgorod area on the evening of Dec. 29. Lavrov provided no proof to assist the assertion, which Zelenskyy was fast to dismiss as a Russian disinformation effort.
Dmitry Medvedev — the previous Russian president and prime minister now serving on the nation’s Safety Council — posted to X accusing Zelenskyy of “making an attempt to derail the settlement of the battle,” referring to the continuing U.S.-sponsored peace talks.
“He desires warfare. Properly, now a minimum of he’ll have to remain in hiding for the remainder of his nugatory life,” Medvedev wrote.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a joint information convention in Palm Seashore, Florida, on Dec. 28, 2025.
Alex Brandon/AP
In separate posts to Telegram, Medvedev — who, throughout Moscow’s full-scale warfare on Ukraine, has turn out to be referred to as a very hawkish voice inside Putin’s safety institution — even appeared to counsel that Zelenskyy needs to be “exhibited” in St. Petersburg after his “imminent demise.”
Kiril Dmitriev, the Kremlin aide who additionally serves because the CEO of the Russian Direct Funding Fund and has been carefully concerned in negotiations with U.S. representatives, additionally questioned the Ukrainian president’s future.
“Who’s after Zelenskyy?” Dmitriev mentioned in a publish to X.
The Kremlin mentioned U.S. President Donald Trump was knowledgeable of the alleged assault throughout a Monday cellphone name with Putin. Russian officers additionally threatened retaliatory strikes in Ukraine.
Yuri Ushakov, a high aide to Putin, informed the state-run Tass information company that Putin and Trump mentioned the difficulty by cellphone on Monday, with the U.S. chief expressing his shock and anger. The White Home is but to touch upon the Russian readout.
Zelenskyy rejected the Russian stories of the supposed Ukrainian drone assault as “one more lie.”
“Now, with their assertion that some residence of theirs was attacked, they’re merely getting ready — I’m certain — getting ready the bottom, in precept, to launch strikes, most likely on the capital and, most likely, on state buildings,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
It’s unclear what the newest developments may imply for the continuing peace talks.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed reporters on Tuesday that the alleged Ukrainian assault would immediate a “hardening of the Russian Federation’s negotiating place,” as quoted by the state-run Tass information company.
“Russia is just not withdrawing from the negotiation course of,” Peskov added, describing the alleged assault as an effort aimed “at disrupting President Trump’s efforts to advertise a peaceable decision of the Ukrainian battle.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his annual end-of-year press convention in Moscow, December 19, 2025.
Alexander Nemenov/Pool by way of Reuters
After talks with Zelenskyy — which had been preceded and adopted by cellphone calls between Trump and Putin — at his Mar-a-Lago residence on Sunday, Trump informed reporters that the negotiating groups are “getting loads nearer, possibly very shut” to attaining a peace deal to finish Russia’s full-scale invasion, which Moscow launched in February 2022.
Lavrov mentioned that Russia doesn’t intend to withdraw from the negotiation course of following the alleged assault. However the international minister mentioned that the “targets and timing of Russia’s retaliatory strike” had “been decided.”
Ukraine’s air drive mentioned on Tuesday that Russia launched two missiles and 60 drones into the nation in a single day into Tuesday morning, of which one missile and 52 drones had been shot down or suppressed. One missile and eight drones impacted throughout 5 areas, the air drive mentioned.
Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned that 4 Ukrainian drones had been shot down on Tuesday morning over the southern Krasnodar area.
The the operational headquarters of the Krasnodar area reported on Telegram that two folks sustained shrapnel accidents brought on by drones. Drone wreckage fell on a railway station within the area, the headquarters mentioned.
Rosaviatsiya — Russia’s federal air transport company — reported momentary flight restrictions at Krasnodar airport.
ABC Information’ Natalya Kushnir, Nataliia Popova and Somayeh Malekian contributed to this report.
