The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) says that the Kremlin has not given any proof to back up assertions that Ukrainian drones attacked Russian President Vladimir Putin’s home on the night of December 28–29.
ISW added that Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, told reporters on December 30 that he didn’t think there “should be any evidence” of a large drone hit on Putin’s house. He also encouraged media to ask the Russian military about any probable debris.
ISW said that the Kremlin seems to be trying to make sense of the differences in earlier official statements regarding how many drones were involved. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that 41 drones were shot down over Novgorod Oblast, but other Russian sources said that the number was much higher, according to ISW.
ISW said it hasn’t seen the video or follow-up reports that usually come with Ukrainian deep strikes. It also noted that Russian and Western reports have raised doubts, such as reports that people living near Valdai didn’t hear drones or air defenses that night.
ISW added that Kremlin officials are exploiting the supposed event to back up their calls for harder negotiating language, while also repeating long-standing demands for Ukraine to stay neutral, restrain its military, and recognize Russian-claimed areas.
ISW also claimed that Russian forces are using drones to attack deeper into Ukraine, which shows how much Kyiv needs air defenses.
ISW also said that Putin approved laws that would make it mandatory for active reservists to join the military and would change the way conscription is run so that it happens all year round starting in 2026.
