Russia is Treating the Latest Drone Attack on the Putin Residence as Something More Sinister Than Just Another Terrorist Attack

The furious reaction of Russian officials, the Russian media and the Russian people to the news that Ukraine launched 91 drones at the official residence of Vladimir Putin in Novgorod is remarkable and ominous. While Ukraine continues to deny it carried out such an attack, the West has provided no evidence that rebuts Russia’s claim while the Russian Ministry of Defense has provided video evidence of destroyed drones.

Ukrainian officials, along with many supporters in the West, insist that this is a Russian false flag that Moscow is trying to use as an excuse to expand attacks against Ukraine or to justify ending negotiations to conclude the Special Military Operation. That is utterly ridiculous… Russia does not need a new terrorist attack to motivate it to intensify attacks on Ukraine or to terminate the Kabuki theater of finding a viable peace plan. You need only consider the previous Ukrainian-sponsored terrorist attacks that caused far more death and destruction than the latest failed drone attack targeting the official residence of President Putin. Moreover, this is not the first time that Ukraine tried to hit Putin with a drone attack… Remember the May 2023 attack on the Kremlin? Here is the list of the most prominent Ukrainian-sponsored terrorist attacks since 2022:

1. Assassination of Darya Dugina (August 20, 2022) A car bomb in Moscow killed journalist and activist Darya Dugina (daughter of ultranationalist Alexander Dugin). Russia’s FSB accused Ukraine’s special services of orchestrating it, claiming a Ukrainian woman carried it out. Although Ukraine denied involvement US intelligence later assessed that elements within the Ukrainian government authorized it.
2. Crimean Bridge Explosion (October 8, 2022) A truck bomb damaged the Kerch Bridge linking Russia to occupied Crimea, killing several civilians. Putin called it a “terrorist act” by Ukrainian services. Ukraine initially denied but later acknowledged responsibility for the attack, claiming the bridge as a legitimate military target.
3. Nord Stream Pipelines Sabotage (September 26, 2022) Underwater explosions damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. Russia accused Ukraine (or Western proxies) of terrorism to disrupt energy supplies. Investigations pointed to sabotage, with later reports (including German warrants) suspecting a Ukrainian team; Ukraine denied state involvement.
4. Assassination Attempts on Pro-Russian Figures and Journalists Russia has labeled multiple killings or attempts (e.g., Vladlen Tatarsky in April 2023 café bombing; other bloggers/war correspondents) as Ukrainian terrorism.
5. Drone and Sabotage Attacks on Infrastructure Russia routinely calls Ukrainian drone strikes on oil depots, refineries, airbases, and Moscow buildings “terrorist acts” (hundreds since 2022). Notable: May 2023 Kremlin drone incident (Russia claimed attempt on Putin).
6. Border Incursions/Raids (e.g., Belgorod/Bryansk, 2023–2024) Cross-border raids by anti-Putin Russian partisans (e.g., Russian Volunteer Corps, operating from Ukraine) were branded terrorism by Russia, with claims of Ukrainian backing.
7. Crocus City Hall Concert Attack (March 22, 2024) Gunmen killed 145+ in Moscow suburb. ISIS-K claimed full responsibility (verified by U.S./Western intelligence).
8. Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov (December 17, 2024): Head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops. Killed with his assistant by a bomb hidden in an electric scooter outside his Moscow apartment. Ukraine’s SBU claimed responsibility, calling him a “legitimate target” for alleged chemical weapons use. Russia classified it as terrorism.
9. Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik (April 25, 2025): Deputy head of the General Staff’s main operational department. Killed by a car bomb near Moscow. Russia blamed Ukrainian services.
10. In Bryansk Oblast(May 31, 2025) (near Vygonichi): A highway/road bridge exploded and collapsed onto railway tracks just as a passenger train (Klimovo–Moscow route, carrying ~388 passengers) was passing underneath. The debris crushed parts of the train, killing at least 7 people (including the driver) and injuring 66–113 others (reports vary, including children).
11. Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov (December 22, 2025): Head of the General Staff’s army operational training directorate. Killed by a bomb under his car in southern Moscow. 

So why has this latest attack by Ukraine sparked such fury on the part of the Russians? This is something more than orchestrated outrage. I think it is a combination of factors, starting with the fact that the attack began while Ukraine’s Zelensky was meeting with Donald Trump for the ostensible purpose of trying to craft a peace proposal for Russia. Whether Zelensky was witting of the plan is not relevant. This was an attack planned and executed with the assistance of Western intelligence, possibly including the CIA, and the timing and the intended target removed any doubt on the part of the Russians that the West could not be trusted to negotiate an honest deal.

We still do not know if President Putin was at the residence… If he was, then it is not out of the question for the Russians to conclude that this was a deliberate attempt to kill Putin using the peace talks as a ruse. We will soon find out how pissed off the Russians are when they carry out their promise to retaliate. I believe Russia is planning something more dramatic than launching 1,000 missiles and drones at power plants and military targets in Ukraine… They have been doing that for more than two years.

Both Sergei Lavrov and Dmitry Peskov have publicly accused Western/NATO systems of enabling the Ukrainian strikes. At a minimum I think that makes any Western or NATO advisors now inside Ukraine likely targets of a Russian response. I think we will know the Russian response by Monday.

Meanwhile, I was honored with an invitation to appear yesterday (Tuesday) on the podcast hosted by Viva Frei and Robert Barnes. I also was interviewed by Glenn Diesen. And i closed out 2025 with my friend, Daniel Davis: