World leaders react to US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicols Maduro
BBC News1 day
Trump Says He Doesn't Believe Ukraine Attacked Putin's Residence
Is this a plot to extend the war or does Russia really have evidence of an attack on Putin's residence last week?
Above: U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport on Jan. 4, 2026. Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
U.S. national security officials have reviewed Russia's claims about Ukraine's attack, and though it may have been the case that the attack went after a previously targeted Russian military site in the Novgorod region, there is no evidence to suggest that Putin's residence was specifically targeted.
Pro-Ukraine narrative
The claim that Ukraine attacked Putin's residence is an absurd lie — probably intended to drag out the war. Putin is unhappy with the terms coming out of the U.S.-Ukraine dialogue, so he's doing what he can to derail the progress and keep the fighting going.
Pro-Russia narrative
Following Ukraine's attack, Russian security services were able to retrieve well-preserved and technically functional navigation components from the unmanned aerial vehicles. Once the memory of these navigation components was decrypted by specialists, they showed unequivocally that the drones were targeting the residence of the Russian president.
Metaculus Prediction
Public Figures
The Controversies
Go Deeper
Establishment split
CRITICAL
PRO
More neutral establishment stance articles
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0