Moscow Alleges Kyiv-Tied Drone Strike on Putin Residence; Ukraine Denies Plot

Moscow Points Finger After Alleged Overnight Drone Raid

Moscow, 3 a.m.—A silence broken only by the low hum of an unidentified aircraft shattered the pre-dawn stillness near the presidential residence at Novo-Ogaryovo, west of the capital, according to Russia’s National Guard. Within minutes, Russian air-defence units reported intercepting a drone that, they claim, was heading toward one of President Vladimir Putin’s official homes.

Kremlin: ‘Terrorist Act’ Foiled

In a terse statement released minutes after the incident, the Kremlin branded the episode a “planned terrorist act” and blamed Ukraine’s military intelligence, the GUR. “A drone packed with explosives was neutralised 30 kilometres from a high-security residence,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state television. “We see this as a direct threat to the head of state.”

Ukraine: ‘We Don’t Target Palaces’

Kyiv’s response was swift and unequivocal. Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for the GUR, dismissed the allegation as “a fresh round of Russian propaganda meant to mobilise domestic opinion.” Speaking to Pravda Ukraine, he added: “Our focus is on liberating occupied territory—not on symbolic strikes against dachas.”

What Witnesses Say

Residents of the Usovo settlement, a leafy enclave favoured by Russia’s political elite, reported a single flash in the sky followed by a muffled blast. “I thought it was summer thunder,” said pensioner Irina Klimova. “Then helicopters circled for an hour.” Amateur footage geolocated by the open-source collective Molfar shows a mid-air explosion and falling debris—consistent with a drone downed by electronic-warfare guns that jam navigation signals.

Tactical Shift or False Flag?

Security analysts note a recent uptick in drone activity inside Russia. Since May, at least six suspected Ukrainian UAVs have been spotted over Moscow, though none so close to a presidential site. Mark Galeotti, head of the Mayak Intelligence consultancy, cautions against quick conclusions: “The Kremlin has an interest in portraying Kyiv as reckless. A narrowly avoided ‘assassination attempt’ rallies the home front and justifies escalation.”

“If Ukraine really wanted to hit Putin, they wouldn’t send a single propeller-driven drone. They’d fire a salvo of long-range missiles.”
— Marina Miron, defence researcher, King’s College London

Global Fallout

Washington urged “all sides to avoid actions that could widen the conflict,” while the UN warned the war is “entering an unpredictable new phase.” European diplomats privately worry that Moscow could use the alleged attack to justify fresh missile barrages against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure as winter approaches.

Escalation Checklist

• Russia has already stationed Tu-95 nuclear-capable bombers at Olenya airfield, within striking distance of Kyiv.
• Ukraine, armed with newly pledged British Storm Shadow cruise missiles, can hit targets up to 250 km inside Russia.
• Both capitals have signalled a shrinking appetite for peace talks after last month’s collapsed diplomatic track in Geneva.

What Happens Next

Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under anti-terrorism statutes, and parliament is debating a bill that would expand the definition of “foreign agent” to include anyone sharing footage of such incidents. Meanwhile, Kyiv continues to press the West for F-16 jets, arguing that air superiority is the only way to halt drone swarms launched from Russian territory.

As the sun rose over the Moskva River, smoke no longer visible in the sky, the only certainty is that the war—now 16 months old—keeps finding new flashpoints, each one pushing the two neighbours closer to an even deadlier chapter.