Putin-Zelenskyy (AI image generated using ChatGPT)

Russia hardens stance after alleged drone attack on Putin residence; Ukraine denies claimRussia on Tuesday said its position on any potential peace deal with Ukraine would toughen following the alleged Ukrainian drone attack on a Vladimir Putin's residence in the Novgorod region, a claim Kyiv has firmly rejected.

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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the alleged attack was aimed at derailing negotiations, adding that Moscow had taken note of Ukraine’s denial. He also accused Western media of “playing along” with Kyiv’s version of events.“This terrorist act was intended to derail the negotiation process,” Peskov told reporters, adding that the diplomatic fallout would be a tougher negotiating stance for the Russian Federation.He said the Russian military was aware of how and when to respond.Peskov said Zelenskyy was denying the incident and accused sections of the Western media of echoing Kyiv’s line by suggesting that no such attack had taken place, calling such claims “completely insane”.He declined to disclose Putin’s whereabouts at the time of the alleged attack, arguing that in the current situation such information should not be made public.

Asked whether Russia had physical evidence of the drone strike, Peskov said air defences had intercepted the drones, and that questions related to wreckage should be addressed by the defence ministry.Ukraine, meanwhile, said Russia had provided no evidence to support its allegation. Ukrainian foreign minister Andriy Sybiga said Moscow had failed to produce any “plausible evidence” for what he called a fabricated claim.“Almost a day passed and Russia still hasn’t provided any plausible evidence to its accusations of Ukraine’s alleged ‘attack on Putin’s residence'. And they won’t. Because there’s none. No such attack happened,” Sybiga said in a post on X.

The competing claims added to already heightened tensions in the nearly three-year-old conflict, with Moscow signalling a tougher diplomatic line and Kyiv dismissing the accusation as baseless.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over reports that the residence of Putin had been targeted and called for restraint and a renewed focus on diplomacy.In a post on X, PM Modi said he was 'deeply concerned' by the reports and stressed that diplomatic engagement remained the best way forward. "Deeply concerned by reports of the targeting of the residence of the President of the Russian Federation. Ongoing diplomatic efforts offer the most viable path toward ending hostilities and achieving peace. We urge all concerned to remain focused on these efforts and to avoid any actions that could undermine them," he said.