Russian President Vladimir Putin falsely claimed earlier this week that Ukraine attempted to assassinate him with a massive drone attack on one of his residences, according to U.S. intelligence.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Putin’s allegation a “complete fabrication” on Monday. U.S. national security officials told the Wall Street Journal that there is no evidence supporting the Russian leader’s claim. A U.S. official said Ukraine targeted a military site in the same region as Putin’s country home but not near the residence itself.
A CIA assessment reportedly confirmed the national security officials’ conclusion, finding that Kyiv did not attempt to strike Putin’s home in Russia’s Novgorod region. The CIA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A source familiar with the situation said CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed President Trump about the alleged attack on Wednesday. Later that day, Trump shared a link to a Post editorial suggesting that Putin may have fabricated the story to disrupt peace negotiations.
Russian officials reported that all 91 drones involved were shot down, with no reported damage or casualties, according to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
President Trump told reporters on Monday that Putin personally discussed the supposed attack during a phone call following a Mar-a-Lago meeting with Zelensky. Trump criticized Ukraine over the alleged drone incursion, saying, “This is not the right time. It’s one thing to be offensive, it’s another thing to attack his house. I was very angry about it.” He also acknowledged that it was “possible” Putin was lying about the incident.