Ukraine launched drones at Putin's residence from Sumy, Chernihiv: Russian Defence Ministry

Moscow, Dec 31 The drone attack by the Ukrainian armed forces on Russian President Vladimir Putin's residence in the Novgorod region was launched from Sumy and Chernihiv regions, Major General Alexander Romanenkov, Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces' Anti-Aircraft Missile Troops, said on Wednesday.

"At around 7:20 p.m. on December 28, an air attack using unmanned aerial vehicles was discovered from the Sumy and Chernihiv regions of Ukraine," Russian media outlet Izvestia quoted Romanenkov as saying on Wednesday.

Ukraine's attack was targetted, meticulously planned, and multi-layered. According to Russia's Ministry of Defence, its air defence assets destroyed all Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) aimed at the presidential residence.

Russia used Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) and Electronic Warfare (EW) systems to repel Ukrainian armed forces attacks over the Bryansk, Smolensk, and Novgorod regions. As many as 41 drones were shot down over the Novgorod region while 49 drones were shot down over the Bryansk region between December 28-29.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Russia will toughen its stance in the Ukraine negotiations after Kyiv's attack on Putin's residence, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Speaking to reporters, he said that diplomatic consequences of the attack would be hardening of Russia's negotiating stance. Peskov said the Ukrainian attack was aimed at undermining the negotiations on ending the Ukrainian conflict, from which Russia is not withdrawing. He said that Russia will continue to hold talks, primarily with the US.

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of launching UAVs at the state residence of Putin in the early hours of December 29. He stated that Russia will respond to Ukraine's attack, Russia's news agency Tass reported.

On the night of December 28-29, "the Kyiv regime launched a terrorist attack using 91 long-range strike unmanned aerial vehicles on the state residence of the president of the Russian Federation in Novgorod Region", the Foreign Minister said.

All drones were destroyed by Russian air defences, and there were no reports about casualties or damage, he said, noting that the development comes amid intense negotiations to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday denied Russia's accusation of the attack, terming it "another lie from the Russian Federation."

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