LONDON — A prime Russian official on Monday issued private threats in opposition to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Russia claimed that Ukraine launched a drone assault on one in every 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 help 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 “attempting to derail the settlement of the battle,” referring to the continued U.S.-sponsored peace talks.
“He desires struggle. Properly, now at the very least 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 struggle on Ukraine, has develop into often known as a very hawkish voice inside Putin’s safety institution — even appeared to recommend that Zelenskyy must 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 submit 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 prime aide to Putin, instructed the state-run Tass information company that Putin and Trump mentioned the problem 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 studies of the supposed Ukrainian drone assault as “yet one more lie.”
“Now, with their assertion that some residence of theirs was attacked, they’re merely making ready — I’m positive — making ready the bottom, in precept, to launch strikes, in all probability on the capital and, in all probability, on state buildings,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
It’s unclear what the newest developments would possibly imply for the continued peace talks.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov instructed 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 isn’t 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 have been preceded and adopted by cellphone calls between Trump and Putin — at his Mar-a-Lago residence on Sunday, Trump instructed reporters that the negotiating groups are “getting lots nearer, perhaps very shut” to reaching 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 overseas 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 have been shot down or suppressed. One missile and eight drones impacted throughout 5 places, the air drive mentioned.
Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned that 4 Ukrainian drones have been shot down on Tuesday morning over the southern Krasnodar area.
The the operational headquarters of the Krasnodar area reported on Telegram that two individuals 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.
