The CIA has assessed that Ukraine was not targeting a residence used by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a recent drone attack in northern Russia, according to US officials, contradicting a claim Putin made to US President Donald Trump during a phone call on Monday.
Sources said CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed Trump on the assessment on Wednesday. The briefing undercut Russia’s public allegation that Ukraine attempted to strike Putin’s residence, a claim the Russian leader personally relayed to Trump.
Following the call, Trump told reporters he was troubled by the allegation, saying, “I don’t like it. It’s not good,” and describing himself as “very angry” after hearing Putin’s account. While acknowledging it was “possible” the claim was false, Trump initially said he was inclined to believe Putin.
However, officials said Ratcliffe later informed Trump that US intelligence agencies did not believe the claim was true. On Wednesday, Trump appeared to adopt a more skeptical tone, sharing on Truth Social a New York Post editorial titled, “Putin ‘attack’ bluster shows Russia is the one standing in the way of peace.”
The editorial argued that Russia had provided no evidence to support its claim and noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had strongly denied any such attack. It described the allegation as likely fabricated and criticised Moscow’s insistence that the public should accept its version of events without proof.
The disputed claim comes amid intense diplomatic efforts led by Trump and his envoys to end the war in Ukraine. Putin raised the allegation shortly after Trump met Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago, a meeting that reportedly left Trump optimistic about prospects for peace talks.
Some European officials believe the claim was intended to derail ongoing peace efforts without directly provoking criticism from Trump. Others have also expressed skepticism. The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, described the allegation as a “deliberate distraction.”
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed that 91 drones were launched from northern Ukraine toward Putin’s residence near Valdai in the Novgorod region. According to the ministry, more than half were intercepted hundreds of kilometers away, while the rest were brought down over Novgorod between 3 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. local time on Monday.
The ministry did not explain how it determined the drones were headed for Valdai but released a map it said showed their flight paths and interception points.