Donald Trump denied that Ukraine targeted Russian president Vladimir Putin’s residence last week, days after saying news of the drone attack had left him “very angry”.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said that while “something happened nearby”, US officials did not find Putin’s residence was targeted specifically.
“I don’t believe that strike happened,” he said. European officials claimed Moscow had made the allegation to undermine peace efforts.
Last week, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine had fired a wave of drones at Putin’s residence in northwestern Novgorod region.
As Russia and Ukraine continued to exchange attacks in the new year, Kyiv recorded its first civilian casualty of 2026 in the early hours of Monday.
The Russian defence ministry accused Ukraine of targeting Moscow with drones every day of 2026 so far, saying this was an escalation from sporadic attacks on the Russian capital.
Ukraine military says Russian strike on Kyiv kills civilian
A Russian air attack on Kyiv killed one civilian, Ukraine’s military said this morning, in what appeared to be the first reported death in Russian strikes on the capital this year.
“One person has been killed so far as a result of the attack. The attack is continuing,” said Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration.
He said people were being evacuated from a building damaged in the attack in the Obolonskyi district, north of Kyiv’s centre.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defence forces were operating in the capital and urged residents to remain in shelters.
Russia has repeatedly attacked Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones during the nearly four-year-old war, saying it strikes military targets, while Ukraine says civilians and civilian infrastructure are often hit.
Source: independent.co.uk