'I'm very angry': Trump says Putin reported drone attack on his residence, as Kyiv flatly denies claim
Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump stated that the Russian leader had raised the issue during a phone call earlier in the day
- Dec 30, 2025,
- Updated Dec 30, 2025 8:42 AM IST
A fresh flashpoint surfaced in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war on Monday after US President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had told him that a swarm of Ukrainian drones allegedly targeted one of his residences, an assertion swiftly rejected by Kyiv.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump stated that the Russian leader had raised the issue during a phone call earlier in the day.
“You know who told me about it? President Putin, early in the morning, he said he was attacked. It's no good. I'm very angry,” Trump said, while also acknowledging uncertainty around the claim. He added it was “possible” the attack had not happened.
Trump drew a distinction between battlefield actions and personal targets, saying, “It's one thing to be offensive because they're offensive. It's another thing to attack his house. It's not the right time to do any of that.”
The remarks followed allegations from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who accused Ukraine of attempting to strike Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region, west of Moscow, with long-range drones late on December 28 and 29. Lavrov said 91 drones were launched but claimed they were all intercepted by Russian air defences.
Ukraine denied the accusation. Calling it fabricated, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters, “Another round of lies from the Russian Federation.”
The episode came amid a burst of high-level diplomacy involving Trump. The US President confirmed he had spoken with Putin twice within 24 hours, a day after holding talks with Zelenskyy. Despite the controversy, Trump described his latest conversation with the Russian leader as constructive.
“It was a very productive talk,” Trump said. “I mean, we have a few very thorny issues, as you can imagine.”
He added that progress remained possible if those challenges were addressed. “We have a couple of issues that we're going to get resolved, hopefully, and if we get them resolved, you can have peace,” Trump said.
On Sunday, Trump met Zelenskyy in Florida and said they were “getting a lot closer, maybe very close” to an agreement to end the war, though he cautioned that “thorny” territorial issues were still unresolved.
Even as diplomatic efforts continued, Moscow struck a hardline note. Putin told his military to press ahead with operations to take full control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, while the Kremlin reiterated demands that Kyiv withdraw its forces from the remaining parts of the Donbas area still under Ukrainian control.
A fresh flashpoint surfaced in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war on Monday after US President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had told him that a swarm of Ukrainian drones allegedly targeted one of his residences, an assertion swiftly rejected by Kyiv.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump stated that the Russian leader had raised the issue during a phone call earlier in the day.
“You know who told me about it? President Putin, early in the morning, he said he was attacked. It's no good. I'm very angry,” Trump said, while also acknowledging uncertainty around the claim. He added it was “possible” the attack had not happened.
Trump drew a distinction between battlefield actions and personal targets, saying, “It's one thing to be offensive because they're offensive. It's another thing to attack his house. It's not the right time to do any of that.”
The remarks followed allegations from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who accused Ukraine of attempting to strike Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region, west of Moscow, with long-range drones late on December 28 and 29. Lavrov said 91 drones were launched but claimed they were all intercepted by Russian air defences.
Ukraine denied the accusation. Calling it fabricated, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters, “Another round of lies from the Russian Federation.”
The episode came amid a burst of high-level diplomacy involving Trump. The US President confirmed he had spoken with Putin twice within 24 hours, a day after holding talks with Zelenskyy. Despite the controversy, Trump described his latest conversation with the Russian leader as constructive.
“It was a very productive talk,” Trump said. “I mean, we have a few very thorny issues, as you can imagine.”
He added that progress remained possible if those challenges were addressed. “We have a couple of issues that we're going to get resolved, hopefully, and if we get them resolved, you can have peace,” Trump said.
On Sunday, Trump met Zelenskyy in Florida and said they were “getting a lot closer, maybe very close” to an agreement to end the war, though he cautioned that “thorny” territorial issues were still unresolved.
Even as diplomatic efforts continued, Moscow struck a hardline note. Putin told his military to press ahead with operations to take full control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, while the Kremlin reiterated demands that Kyiv withdraw its forces from the remaining parts of the Donbas area still under Ukrainian control.