NSA and CIA find no evidence of drone attack on Putin's residence – WSJ

The US National Security Agency has concluded that Ukraine did not attempt to strike the residence of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, contradicting Moscow's claims of an alleged assassination attempt.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, citing senior US officials

Details: This assessment is backed by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which also found no evidence of preparations for an attack on Putin. The CIA declined to comment officially, but a US official familiar with the intelligence confirmed the information to journalists.

Quote from the WSJ: "The US found that Ukraine had been seeking to strike a military target located in the same region as Putin's country residence but not close by, the official said."

Details: US President Donald Trump publicly questioned the Russian claims about the drone attack. He shared on his social media platform Truth Social a New York Post editorial headlined: "Putin 'attack' bluster shows Russia is the one standing in the way of peace".

Quote from the NYP: "It's rich that Putin, who has waged a brutal war for nearly four years, believes that any violence in his vicinity merits special outrage.

After all, Russia launched 131 drones on Christmas at Kyiv and other cities, killing seven civilians. Civilians. The Kremlin specifically targets apartment buildings and power plants to punish the ordinary people of Ukraine. The Russians kidnap children. They torture and execute prisoners. Further, Moscow has tried repeatedly to assassinate Zelenskyy. Any attack on Putin is more than justified.

But here's the rub: the drone strike likely never happened. Zelenskyy vigorously denied it. Peskov said the Russians could provide no evidence, and urged the press to 'take the Kremlin's word for it'."

Details: Putin complained to Trump by phone on Monday 29 December that Ukrainian drones had allegedly attacked his Uzhin residence in the village of Dolgiye Borody in Novgorod Oblast.

Later, speaking to journalists, Trump acknowledged that the attack may not have occurred.

"You're saying maybe the attack didn't take place. That's possible too, I guess. But President Putin told me this morning it did," he said. [N.B. Ukrainska Pravda does not recognise Putin as president – ed.]

Background:

• Two days after Putin's claim, the Russian Defence Ministry posted a fake map showing the supposed movement of Ukrainian drones. Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service dismissed the claims as false.
• Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Ukraine had allegedly struck Putin's residence on the night of 28-29 December, warning that it would affect "the negotiating position".
• Ukraine has officially denied the report.
• "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," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented.

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