Russia's defense ministry released video footage on Wednesday (December 31) of what it said was a downed drone at a briefing intended to show Ukraine tried this week to attack a presidential residence and challenge Kyiv's denials that such an attack took place.

Kyiv says Moscow has produced no evidence to support its allegations and that Russia invented the alleged attack to block progress at talks on ending the war in Ukraine. Officials in several Western countries have cast doubt on Russia's version of events and questioned whether there was any attack.

Video footage released by Russia's defense ministry showed a senior officer, Major-General Alexander Romanenkov, setting out details of how Moscow says it believes Ukraine attacked one of President Vladimir Putin's residences in the Novgorod region.

Romanenkov said 91 drones had been launched from Ukraine's Sumy and Chernihiv regions in a "thoroughly planned" attack that he said was thwarted by Russian air defenses, caused no damage and injured no one.

The video released by the ministry included footage of a Russian serviceman standing next to fragments of a device which he said was a downed Ukrainian Chaklun-V drone carrying a 6-kg explosive device which had not detonated.

The ministry did not explain how it knew what the device's target was.

Reuters could not confirm the location and the date of the footage showing fragments of a destroyed device. The model of the destroyed device could not be immediately verified.

Other footage featured a man, identified as Igor Bolshakov from a village in the Novgorod region, saying he had heard air defense rockets in action.

Ukraine did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the Russian defense ministry's footage.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION (RELEASED DECEMBER 31, 2025) (RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY - Do not obscure logo)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CHIEF OF RUSSIA’S AIR DEFENCE MISSILE FORCES, ALEXANDER ROMANENKOV, SAYING: (INCLUDES MULTIPLE ANGLES)

"Between December 28 and 29, 2025, the Kyiv regime attempted a terrorist attack using long‑range drones against the Russian president’s residence in the Novgorod region. At around 19:20 on December 28, air defence radar units of the Aerospace Forces detected an air attack using fixed‑wing drones flying at extremely low altitudes from Ukraine’s Sumy and Chernihiv regions. As shown on the map provided, the strike was carried out using several approach routes towards the Russian President’s residence."

2. ROMANENKOV SPEAKING (TIMECODE: 00:51)

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CHIEF OF RUSSIA’S AIR DEFENCE MISSILE FORCES, ALEXANDER ROMANENKOV, SAYING: (INCLUDES MULTIPLE ANGLES)

"The layout of the strike, the number of aerial attack assets used, and their approach from the south, southwest and west directly toward the Russian President’s residence in the Novgorod region clearly confirm that the Kyiv regime’s attack was deliberate, thoroughly planned and carried out in several layers."

4. ROMANENKOV SPEAKING, MAP IN BACKGROUND (TIMECODE: 01:17)

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CHIEF OF RUSSIA’S AIR DEFENCE MISSILE FORCES, ALEXANDER ROMANENKOV, SAYING: (INCLUDES MULTIPLE ANGLES)

"As a result of repelling the Kyiv regime’s terrorist attack, there were no casualties or damage on Russian territory. The Russian president’s residence sustained no harm."

6. VARIOUS OF WHAT THE RUSSIAN MILITARY SAYS IS A UKRAINIAN DRONE AFTER BEING SHOT DOWN

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UNIDENTIFIED RUSSIAN SERVICEMAN, SAYING: (PARTIALLY OVERLAID BY SHOT 6)

"After analysing the Ukrainian drones that were shot down one of modifications of "Chaklun-V" was found. The warhead of this drone is a six‑kilogram high‑explosive charge. It is packed with numerous fragmentation elements and was intended to strike personnel and civilian targets. Because it was hit in the tail section, the drone remained intact."

8. VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN AIR DEFENCE SYSTEM

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UNIDENTIFIED RUSSIAN AIR DEFENCE SERVICEMAN, SAYING: (PARTIALLY OVERLAID BY SHOT 8)

"The attempt to slip through our defensive lines and overload our air defences failed. The crew operated as planned and all targets were destroyed. The drones’ objective was a protected facility in the Valdai district of the Novgorod region."

10. SCREEN SHOWING WHAT IS SAID TO BE MOMENT OF DRONE BEING SHOT DOWN, VOICES BEHIND CAMERA SAYING (Russian): "Target destroyed. There is an explosion, target destroyed, one spent."