Russia’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday released nighttime video footage it claimed shows the wreckage of a Ukrainian drone intercepted during an attempted attack on a residence used by President Vladimir Putin.
The video, filmed in a snow-covered, forested area in Russia, shows a Russian serviceman standing over debris that Moscow said belongs to a Ukrainian-made Chaklun-V drone.
Russian officials also said the drone was shot down before it could strike Putin’s residence near Lake Valdai in the Novgorod region and was carrying a six-kilogram explosive device that failed to detonate.
The footage was released as Moscow faced mounting skepticism over its account of events.
"This footage, unfortunately, does not offer proof of anything other than that there is a wrecked drone on the ground somewhere being stood over by a Russian serviceman," broader Ukrainian operation targeting Putin’s residence earlier this week.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted 91 drones had been intercepted en route to Putin’s residence, a figure that appeared to conflict with earlier Defense Ministry statements.
The ministry initially reported that 89 drones were shot down across eight regions, including 18 over Novgorod, before revising the numbers upward.
Only after Lavrov’s remarks did the Defense Ministry claim that 49 drones intercepted over Bryansk — nearly 300 miles from Valdai — were also targeting the presidential residence.
The ministry initially reported that 89 drones were shot down across eight regions, including 18 over Novgorod, before revising the numbers upward.
The timing of the allegations has also drawn scrutiny, coming shortly after what Moscow described publicly as a positive meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida.
Zelenskyy also called the alleged drone attack a "complete fabrication," saying it was designed to justify further Russian strikes and undermine diplomatic efforts.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected Ukraine’s denials and said Moscow would toughen its diplomatic stance.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.