Russia Looking For Trump to Legitimise Claims on Vladimir Putin's Home Assault

The Kremlin is reportedly looking to US President Donald Trump to legitimise the claims of a Ukrainian drone attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin's home. The move follows Trump's initial outrage at the claim, an opinion he appeared to walk back afterthe CIA allegedly revealed to him that it was fabricated.

Russia is reportedly hoping to get Trump to reject the clarification by the CIA on the supposed Ukrainian drone attack on Putin's home. At the time the claims first emerged, Trump was allegedly outraged by the information until the CIA told him that it was not true. The Russian defence ministry claimed it intercepted 91 Ukrainian drones that targeted Putin's home, even releasing images of what it claims was a downed drone on Russian territory.

Trump's Whiplash Reaction

Trump seemed to be convinced of the supposed intercepted attack, following a phone call with Putin. When asked if Washington had any evidence of the attack, Trump seemed to walk back his initial reaction. 'You are saying maybe the attack didn't take place — that is possible too, I guess – but President Putin told me this morning it did' said Trump.

Kremlin Presents 'Proof'

Despite the claims by Russia being supposedly debunked, the Kremlin also staged a meeting with a US official, presenting them with part of the drone that the Russian defence ministry said was used in the attack on Putin's home. Admiral Igor Kostyukov of Russia's Armed Forces said the drone part was proof of Ukraine's attack and would 'reveal the truth.'

The presentation of 'evidence' by the Kremlin follows Trump's reversal of opinion regarding the alleged drone attack, as well as himsharing a piece critical of Putin on social media, after the CIA informed him that the attack never happened.

The timing also follows Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the weekend. It was also seen as an effort to win back Trump's support in the negotiations to end the war, which has been going on for years. It seemed to have initially worked, with the Kremlin touting that Trump was 'literally outraged.'

Ukraine Rejects Russia's Accusations

Ukraine has denied the allegations made by Russia that it has planned a drone attack on Putin's home. Kyiv said this was another attempt by Moscow to sabotage the peace process. Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia has not provided any credible evidence to back up the accusations. 'Because there's none. No such attack happened,' Sybiha said Tuesday in a post on X.

Sybiha added that Russia's 'signature tactic' is leveraging 'false claims.' 'They often accuse others of what they themselves plan to do,' said Sybiha. 'Their words should never be taken at face value.'

Similarly, Ukrainian military bloggers have also noted that the model of flight controller the Kremlin claimed that the Ukrainian side used–a MATEK H743–is usually used for short-range flights and is not likely capable of flying the distance needed to strike Putin's residence.

The CIA's Assessment

The CIA reportedly further confirmed the findings by Kyiv that the drones did not target Putin's home. But while the drones were not found to target Putin's residence, US intelligence said that Kyiv did attempt a strike on a nearby military target in the same region.