Zelenskyy on alleged attack on Putin residence: Russia is looking for pretexts to strike government buildings in Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russia is displeased by the success of the Ukraine-US meeting in Florida and is inventing reasons to justify strikes on government buildings in Kyiv.

Source: Zelenskyy in online comments to Ukrainian journalists

Quote: "Another lie by Russia. Obviously, yesterday we had the meeting with Trump, and obviously for the Russians, if there is no quarrel between America and us, and we have progress instead, then that is a failure for them. They don't want to end this war. They are only capable of ending it under pressure. And so they were looking, I am convinced, for reasons… and they are going further.

Now, with this claim about some residence being attacked, I am convinced they are simply preparing the ground to strike the [Ukrainian] capital, and probably government buildings at that."

Details: Zelenskyy recalled Russia's missile attack on the Cabinet of Ministers building in September.

"So everyone needs to be vigilant now, absolutely everyone. There may be a strike on the capital. Especially since this person – if one can call him a person – said they would select appropriate targets, meaning they are issuing threats," Zelenskyy said. He added that the US president, his team, and the Europeans need to get involved and "do the appropriate work with the people of whom it was said only yesterday that they very much want to end the war".

Previously:

• Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has claimed that Ukraine carried out a drone strike on a residence of Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the night of 28-29 December and said this would lead to a revision of Russia's "negotiating position".
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also stated that Russia has already selected the targets and timing of retaliatory strikes.

Background:

• In 2021, the Russian organisation the Anti-Corruption Foundation published a video about the official but secret country residence of Russian ruler Vladimir Putin on Lake Valdai in Novgorod Oblast. The group said that Putin had four residences: the Kremlin, Novo-Ogaryovo in Moscow Oblast, Bocharov Ruchey in Sochi, and Dolgye Borody (Valdai or Uzhin) in Novgorod Oblast.
• In 2023, the investigative media outlet Proekt (Project) reported that a secret railway line and a network of stations had been built for Putin, leading to his residences.
• In April 2023, it became known that a Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile and gun system had been installed at Krasnaya Polyana in Sochi, where one of Putin's secret residences is located.
• In October 2024, the main building at Putin's residence in Sochi was demolished, reportedly because he had become afraid to visit the resort following Ukrainian drone attacks.

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