Russia publishes fake drone flight map days after claim of "attack on Putin residence"

Two days after claiming that Ukrainian UAVs had attempted to attack one of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's residences, Russia's Defence Ministry has published a fake map showing the alleged route of the Ukrainian drones. The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine has outlined facts indicating that the Russian claims are not credible.

Source: Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine; map published by Russia's Defence Ministry

Details: The Russian map purports to show the flight path of the Ukrainian drones that allegedly attempted to attack Putin's residence.

The Russians claim that they destroyed 50 drones in Bryansk and Smolensk oblasts, while insisting that the UAVs were heading towards Putin's residence.

The Russians also claim that another 41 drones were destroyed in Novgorod Oblast.

Putin's residence is in Russia's northwestern Novgorod Oblast, 20 km from the town of Valdai, near the village of Dolgiye Borody.

Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service believes Russia is conducting an information operation aimed at derailing agreements between the presidents of Ukraine and the US.

The Ukrainian intelligence service has noted that a number of facts indicate that the story about an attack on Putin's residence is fake:

• local residents in Novgorod Oblast did not report a drone attack or any consequences of an attack at any time on 29 December;
• there is no factual evidence (wreckage, photos, videos) of downed UAVs, and the Kremlin has been unable to present any for almost a day since its information operation began;
• Russia's Defence Ministry has twice amended its reports to match the Kremlin's narratives, initially reporting 18 UAVs from Ukraine's defence forces and later increasing the number to 23.

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