Putin residence attack video slammed as US officials say Ukraine did not target leader

Russia’s Defense Ministry connected Wednesday released nighttime video footage it claimed shows nan wreckage of a Ukrainian drone intercepted during an attempted onslaught connected a residence utilized by President Vladimir Putin.

The video, filmed successful a snow-covered, forested area successful Russia, shows a Russian serviceman opinionated complete debris that Moscow said belongs to a Ukrainian-made Chaklun-V drone.

Russian officials besides said nan drone was changeable down earlier it could onslaught Putin’s residence adjacent Lake Valdai successful nan Novgorod region and was carrying a six-kilogram explosive instrumentality that grounded to detonate.

The footage was released arsenic Moscow faced mounting skepticism complete its relationship of events.

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Satellite imagery shows Vladimir Putin's residential analyzable successful Roshchino, Novgorod Region, Russia connected August 31, 2023.  (Planet Labs PBC/Handout via Reuters)

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that U.S. nationalist information officials concluded Ukraine did not target Putin aliases immoderate of his residences successful nan alleged drone incident.

The Journal said nan uncovering was supported by a CIA appraisal that wished nary attempted onslaught connected Putin occurred, citing a U.S. charismatic briefed connected nan intelligence.

Instead, Ukraine, they said, was believed to beryllium targeting a subject tract it had antecedently struck successful nan aforesaid region, but not adjacent Putin’s residence, nan charismatic said.

Ukrainian officials person continued to cull nan allegations, pinch a subject drone master claiming nan video provided small grounds of an attempted onslaught connected 1 of Russia’s astir heavy secured locations.

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Russia releases drone footage of nan alleged Ukraine onslaught connected Putin residence. (Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS )

"This footage, unfortunately, does not connection impervious of thing different than that location is simply a wrecked drone connected nan crushed location being stood complete by a Russian serviceman," Draganfly CEO Cameron Chell told Fox News Digital.

Chell, whose patient supplies drones to nan U.S. Department of Defense and allied militaries, said nan drone shown successful nan video looked ill-suited for specified a mission.

"The attacks that occurred connected Dec. 29 were besides hundreds of kilometers away," he added.

"The engines connected nan drone successful this caller footage are very small, and though tin of aggregate hours of formation pinch nan type of fixed-wing drone displayed, it would beryllium highly slow and unsophisticated."

"This drone is not untypical of galore Ukraine drones, but these would only beryllium utilized for infrastructure targets and woefully ineffective successful an onslaught connected a installation nan likes of Putin’s residence," Chell concluded.

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The Russian Defense ministry shows a downed drone pursuing an alleged drone onslaught connected Putin's residence. (Russian Defense Ministry/Handout via REUTERS )

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi besides dismissed nan footage arsenic "laughable," saying Kyiv was "absolutely assured that nary specified onslaught took place," according to Reuters.

Russia alleges nan drone was portion of a broader Ukrainian operation targeting Putin’s residence earlier this week.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted that 91 drones had been intercepted en way to Putin’s residence, a fig that appeared to conflict pinch earlier Defense Ministry statements.

The ministry initially reported that 89 drones were changeable down crossed 8 regions, including 18 complete Novgorod, earlier revising nan numbers upward. 

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DONETSK OBLAST, UKRAINE - 10 MAY: A Ukrainian aerial intelligence worker carries a drone successful nan guidance of Bakhmut, Ukraine, connected May 10, 2024. (Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Only aft Lavrov’s remarks did nan Defense Ministry declare that 49 drones intercepted complete Bryansk—nearly 300 miles from Valdai—were besides targeting nan statesmanlike residence.

The ministry initially reported that 89 drones were changeable down crossed 8 regions, including 18 complete Novgorod, earlier revising nan numbers upward. 

The timing of nan allegations has besides drawn scrutiny, coming soon aft what Moscow described arsenic a publically affirmative gathering betwixt President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy successful Florida.

Zelenskyy besides called nan alleged drone attack a "complete fabrication," saying it was designed to warrant further Russian strikes and undermine negotiated efforts.

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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected Ukraine’s denials and said Moscow would toughen its negotiated stance.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to nan White House for comment.