U.S. Intelligence Says Ukraine Did Not Target Putin in Alleged Drone Strike.
U.S. intelligence has concluded that Ukraine did not attempt to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin in a supposed drone strike near his country residence, directly contradicting claims made by the Kremlin.
According to a source familiar with the assessment, the CIA determined that Ukrainian forces were targeting a legitimate military objective in the same region—not Putin’s personal residence near Lake Valdai in northern Russia. Moscow has provided no evidence to support its allegation.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed President Donald Trump on the findings earlier this week. Shortly after, Trump publicly amplified skepticism of the Russian narrative by sharing a New York Post editorial accusing Moscow of manufacturing excuses to derail peace talks.
The revelation comes at a sensitive diplomatic moment. Trump recently met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago, where both leaders said they were “very close” to a deal to end the war—an assessment the Kremlin itself initially echoed, despite continuing to press maximalist territorial demands.
Zelenskyy forcefully rejected Russia’s accusation, calling it a “complete fabrication” designed to justify further Russian attacks and sabotage diplomacy. “Typical Russian lies,” he wrote, accusing Moscow of deliberately undermining negotiations with Washington.
The intelligence finding reinforces growing Western suspicion that the Kremlin is weaponizing disinformation to stall peace while escalating military pressure. As talks inch forward, the episode underscores a familiar pattern: when diplomacy gains momentum, Moscow changes the story.
