Kaja Kallas rejects Moscow’s claim that Ukraine struck Russian government sites

EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas dismissed Moscow’s allegation that Ukraine attacked Russian government sites as a “deliberate distraction” on social media, rejecting the Kremlin’s suggestion that Kyiv attempted a drone strike on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences. The statement comes after Russian officials this week accused Ukraine of launching drones at Putin’s private home on Lake Valdai in north-west Russia and said the claim could affect ongoing peace talks. Moscow has released maps and video it says prove an attempted strike and has signalled it may reassess its posture at the negotiating table. Kyiv and its partners have denied the accusation, and independent verification of the footage and maps released by Russia remains unavailable.

Key takeaways

• Kaja Kallas called the Kremlin’s allegation a “deliberate distraction,” urging scepticism toward claims from the aggressor who has struck Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians.
• Moscow accused Ukraine of trying to hit Putin’s Valdai residence earlier this week; the Kremlin said it would review its position in peace negotiations as a result.
• Russian authorities published a map and a short video of wreckage they say came from drones launched from Sumy and Chernihiv regions; the BBC could not independently verify the material.
• Russian commentators have used increasingly incendiary language — one official said there could be “no forgiveness” after the alleged strike; Kremlin sources initially declined to provide proof.
• Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, denied the claims and warned the allegation could be used to justify strikes on Kyiv and government targets.
• On 30 December, Odesa sustained a large-scale drone attack that injured six people (three children among them) and cut power to more than 170,000 residents.
• Diplomatic activity continues: US advisers held talks with Zelensky and Western counterparts about ceasefire and security guarantees; European states will meet in Paris on 6 January to discuss commitments to protect Ukraine.

Background

The allegations follow months of escalatory incidents across land, sea and air as Russia and Ukraine remain locked in war. Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, first publicised the claim this week, framing it as an attack on the Russian state and arguing it undermines any incentive to negotiate. Russia’s domestic media and some parliamentarians amplified the narrative, using strong rhetoric to rally public sentiment and justify a hardline response.

Ukraine and its Western partners have pursued parallel tracks: battlefield resistance and intensified diplomacy aimed at a negotiated ceasefire. In late December and into early January, US and European envoys engaged with Kyiv to refine security guarantees and deconfliction measures intended to halt the fighting. Any prospective agreement, however, relies on Moscow’s willingness to compromise — a prospect complicated by fresh allegations and inflammatory public statements from Russian officials.

Main event

This week Moscow presented a map it said showed the flight path of drones allegedly launched from Ukraine’s Sumy and Chernihiv regions and a video of a crashed unmanned aerial vehicle in snowy woods near Valdai. A serviceman standing by the wreckage described the device as a Ukrainian-produced Chaklun model. Russian authorities also released footage of a local resident claiming to have heard a rocket-like noise at the reported time of the incident.

Russian state media and some politicians framed the episode as an attack “on the heart of Russia.” Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian parliament’s defence committee, said the incident precluded forgiveness. The Kremlin said it would reassess its negotiating stance at peace talks because of the alleged strike. President Putin has not publicly detailed the claim, although he reiterated support for Russian troops in his New Year’s Eve address.

Kyiv has firmly denied responsibility. President Zelensky called the story a likely effort to disrupt advancing diplomatic momentum between Ukraine and the United States, pointing to recent positive meetings between their teams. Ukraine’s foreign ministry labelled the evidence shared by Moscow “laughable,” and Ukrainian officials warned the accusation could be used as a pretext for renewed strikes on Kyiv or other Ukrainian government targets.

Analysis & implications

If the Kremlin’s assertion is taken at face value by Moscow’s domestic audience, it strengthens the political rationale for hardline measures and could harden the negotiating stance in any peace process. Publicly aired allegations serve both a strategic and narrative purpose: they justify retaliatory or preventive operations and shift international focus onto Kyiv’s alleged actions rather than Russia’s conduct in Ukraine.

For Ukraine and its Western partners, the allegation is a diplomatic setback if it undermines trust between negotiating teams. Western envoys had been discussing concrete security guarantees and deconfliction mechanisms intended to enable a ceasefire and durable settlement; renewed hostility or a spike in mutual recrimination could stall that work. Even absent conclusive evidence, the mere appearance of a high-profile attempted strike raises the political cost of concessions for all sides.

Operationally, the imagery released by Russia is hard to verify. The wreckage shown resembles components found in commercially available drones and parts widely used in improvised systems, which complicates definitive attribution to Ukrainian armed forces. Independent geolocation of the footage has not been established, and open-source tracing of parts cannot conclusively tie them to a particular military, leaving attribution contested in public fora.

Comparison & data

The table summarises the two incidents most prominent in official statements. Russian authorities have emphasised the Valdai episode to justify harder rhetoric at home and tougher negotiating positions abroad, while the Odesa attack demonstrates continuing strikes inside Ukraine with measurable civilian impact. The disparity between the degree of evidence available for each episode highlights how battlefield events and information operations interact in real time.

Reactions & quotes

Russian officials and state-aligned commentators quickly amplified the Valdai claim, shifting public attention toward the alleged attack and framing it as justification for policy changes. Western and Ukrainian officials characterised the materials released by Moscow as unverified or implausible and cautioned against accepting Kremlin narratives without independent proof.

No one should accept unfounded claims from the aggressor who has indiscriminately targeted Ukraine’s infrastructure and civilians.

Kaja Kallas, EU foreign affairs chief

Kallas used social media to dismiss Moscow’s materials as distractionary, explicitly linking the allegation to a pattern of Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure. Her intervention underscores the EU’s effort to shape the diplomatic response and to maintain focus on verified facts in the public record.

They are not serious even about fabricating the story.

Heorhii Tykhyi, Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson

Tykhyi’s comment to Reuters labelled the Russian evidence as implausible, reinforcing Kyiv’s categorical denial. Ukrainian officials have warned that false or exaggerated claims could be used to rationalise strikes and escalate military pressure.

Unconfirmed

• That the wreckage footage released by Russian authorities was filmed at the Valdai site claimed by Moscow; independent geolocation has not been produced.
• That the drones shown can be conclusively traced to the Ukrainian military, since the pictured components are widely available and lack unique provenance marks.
• The precise number of drones allegedly involved — some Russian-sourced reports cite as many as 91, but this figure has not been independently verified.

Bottom line

The Kremlin’s allegation that Ukraine attempted a drone strike on President Putin’s Valdai residence has become a focal point for heightened rhetoric and may complicate fragile diplomatic channels at a moment when US and European mediators are attempting to advance ceasefire talks. Kyiv and its Western partners have denied responsibility and questioned the evidence Russia has presented, leaving independent observers unable to confirm the claim.

Even without conclusive proof, the political effect is tangible: the allegation affords Moscow political space to harden its negotiating position and rally domestic support for retaliatory measures. For diplomats and analysts, the next days will be critical — attention will focus on whether Moscow provides verifiable evidence, whether independent open-source investigators can geolocate the footage, and how Western partners respond in Paris and in bilateral talks with Kyiv.

Sources

• BBC News — original report summarising events and statements (international news)
• Reuters — reporting on statements from Kyiv and Moscow (international wire service)
• The Kremlin — official Russian statements (official government)
• Russian Defence Ministry (official defence institution)
• White House — statements on diplomatic engagements (official government)