The Kremlin announced on Tuesday that it would take a firmer stance in negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine following its accusation that Kyiv had attacked a Russian presidential residence. Kyiv refuted the claim, labeling it as baseless and a tactic to prolong the war.
Russia alleged on Monday that Kyiv had launched an assault on a presidential residence in the Novgorod region using 91 long-range attack drones. Despite threatening retaliation and revising its negotiation strategy, Russia stated it would not withdraw from potential peace discussions.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov asserted that the purported attack was a terrorist act aimed at sabotaging the negotiation process. He emphasized that Russia’s diplomatic position would become more stringent, with the military prepared to respond accordingly.
The escalation in Russia’s negotiating stance could complicate efforts led by U.S. President Donald Trump to resolve the ongoing conflict, considered the deadliest in Europe since World War II. Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, controls a portion of Ukrainian territory and claims its troops are making progress.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha dismissed Russia’s claims, stating that no credible evidence had been presented to support the allegations. He criticized statements from the United Arab Emirates, India, and Pakistan expressing concern over an attack that Ukraine asserts never occurred.
When questioned about physical evidence of the drone attack, Peskov mentioned that the drones were intercepted by air defenses, leaving the wreckage for the Defense Ministry to address. Despite Russia’s Defense Ministry reporting the downing of 91 drones en route to the residence, no concrete evidence beyond this statement has been provided.
Additionally, Russia targeted infrastructure in Ukraine’s Odesa region on Tuesday, causing damage to a civilian ship and facilities in the Black Sea ports of Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba reported that a civilian vessel loaded with grains was affected, along with oil storage tanks. Despite the assaults, both ports remained operational.
In a separate development, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that the Oreshnik missile system, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, had been deployed in Belarus. The system’s combat vehicles were showcased in a video as part of combat training exercises, following Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s statement that up to 10 such missile systems would be stationed in Belarus.
