Zelenskyy: Russian “Fake” Drone Attack Claim is Pretext for Strikes on Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vehemently rejected Russian accusations that Kyiv launched a massive 91-drone attack on Vladimir Putin’s state residence, branding the claim an “obviously fake story” manufactured by the Kremlin to justify a new wave of escalation. Speaking shortly after his high-stakes summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida, Zelenskyy warned that Moscow is using this fabrication as a pretext to bomb Ukrainian government decision-making centers and derail ongoing peace negotiations.
The denial follows a statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who alleged that Ukrainian forces targeted Putin’s Valdai residence in the Novgorod region overnight. Lavrov claimed the “terrorist act” would force Russia to revise its negotiating position. Zelenskyy, however, sees a darker motive behind the narrative.
“Now the Russians have invented an obviously fake story about an alleged strike on some residence of the Russian dictator, so that they have a pretext to continue attacks on Ukraine, in particular strikes on Kyiv, and to refuse to take the necessary steps to end the war,” Zelenskyy stated in a video address released on Monday.
The Ukrainian leader drew a direct parallel to previous Russian disinformation tactics used to legitimize strikes on civilian and administrative infrastructure. “This is a typical deceitful Russian tactic—especially given that they have already struck Kyiv before, including the building of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine,” he added, referring to past missile barrages that targeted the government quarter.
Intelligence analysts in Kyiv suggest the timing of the Russian accusation is calculated. With the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting concluding with discussions on security guarantees and a potential ceasefire framework, the Kremlin may be seeking a “casus belli” to reject unfavorable terms without appearing to be the spoiler. By claiming an assassination attempt on their head of state, Moscow constructs a narrative where “escalation to de-escalate” becomes their only option, potentially paving the way for strikes on the Presidential Office or the Verkhovna Rada.
Zelenskyy urged international partners, particularly the United States, not to be swayed by Russian propaganda. He emphasized that Ukraine’s military focus remains on tactical battlefield targets, such as oil depots and airfields, rather than symbolic strikes on empty residences that yield no strategic value but carry high political risk. “When there is progress in talks, it is a failure for them,” Zelenskyy noted. “They do not want to end this war and are only capable of doing so under pressure. So they are looking for a pretext.”
As tensions mount, air raid sirens have already begun sounding across Kyiv, with residents bracing for the retaliatory strikes Zelenskyy predicted. The international community now watches to see if the Kremlin will act on its threats, using the disputed drone incident to unleash a new phase of brutality against the Ukrainian capital.