Putin residence attack video slammed; US officials say Ukraine did not target leader

Russia’s Defense Ministry connected Wednesday released nighttime video footage it claimed shows the wreckage of a Ukrainian drone intercepted during an attempted onslaught connected a residence utilized by President Vladimir Putin.

The video, filmed successful a snow-covered, forested country successful Russia, shows a Russian serviceman lasting implicit debris that Moscow said belongs to a Ukrainian-made Chaklun-V drone.

Russian officials besides said the drone was changeable down earlier it could onslaught Putin’s residence adjacent Lake Valdai successful the Novgorod portion and was carrying a six-kilogram explosive instrumentality that failed to detonate.

The footage was released arsenic Moscow faced mounting skepticism implicit its relationship of events.

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Satellite imagery shows Vladimir Putin's residential analyzable successful Roshchino, Novgorod Region, Russia connected August 31, 2023.  (Planet Labs PBC/Handout via Reuters)

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that U.S. nationalist information officials concluded Ukraine did not people Putin oregon immoderate of his residences successful the alleged drone incident.

The Journal said the uncovering was supported by a CIA appraisal that determined nary attempted onslaught connected Putin occurred, citing a U.S. authoritative briefed connected the intelligence.

Instead, Ukraine, they said, was believed to beryllium targeting a subject tract it had antecedently struck successful the aforesaid region, but not adjacent Putin’s residence, the authoritative said.

Ukrainian officials person continued to cull the allegations, with a subject drone adept claiming the video provided small grounds of an attempted onslaught connected 1 of Russia’s astir heavy secured locations.

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Russia releases drone footage of the alleged Ukraine onslaught connected Putin residence. (Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS )

"This footage, unfortunately, does not connection impervious of thing different than that determination is simply a wrecked drone connected the crushed determination being stood implicit by a Russian serviceman," Draganfly CEO Cameron Chell told Fox News Digital.

Chell, whose steadfast supplies drones to the U.S. Department of Defense and allied militaries, said the drone shown successful the video looked ill-suited for specified a mission.

"The attacks that occurred connected Dec. 29 were besides hundreds of kilometers away," helium added.

"The engines connected the drone successful this caller footage are precise small, and though susceptible of aggregate hours of formation with the benignant of fixed-wing drone displayed, it would beryllium highly dilatory and unsophisticated."

"This drone is not untypical of galore Ukraine drones, but these would lone beryllium utilized for infrastructure targets and woefully ineffective successful an onslaught connected a installation the likes of Putin’s residence," Chell concluded.

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The Russian Defense ministry shows a downed drone pursuing an alleged drone onslaught connected Putin's residence. (Russian Defense Ministry/Handout via REUTERS )

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi besides dismissed the footage arsenic "laughable," saying Kyiv was "absolutely assured that nary specified onslaught took place," according to Reuters.

Russia alleges the drone was portion of a broader Ukrainian cognition targeting Putin’s residence earlier this week.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted that 91 drones had been intercepted en way to Putin’s residence, a fig that appeared to struggle with earlier Defense Ministry statements.

The ministry initially reported that 89 drones were changeable down crossed 8 regions, including 18 implicit Novgorod, earlier revising the numbers upward. 

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DONETSK OBLAST, UKRAINE - 10 MAY: A Ukrainian aerial quality worker carries a drone successful the absorption of Bakhmut, Ukraine, connected May 10, 2024. (Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Only aft Lavrov’s remarks did the Defense Ministry assertion that 49 drones intercepted implicit Bryansk—nearly 300 miles from Valdai—were besides targeting the statesmanlike residence.

The ministry initially reported that 89 drones were changeable down crossed 8 regions, including 18 implicit Novgorod, earlier revising the numbers upward. 

The timing of the allegations has besides drawn scrutiny, coming soon aft what Moscow described arsenic a publically affirmative gathering betwixt President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy successful Florida.

Zelenskyy besides called the alleged drone onslaught a "complete fabrication," saying it was designed to warrant further Russian strikes and undermine diplomatic efforts.

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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected Ukraine’s denials and said Moscow would toughen its diplomatic stance.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to the White House for comment.