CIA Assesses Ukraine Did Not Target Putin in Alleged Drone Attack, Sources Say
CIA sources say Ukraine did not target Putin in a reported drone attack, contradicting Kremlin claims amid US-led peace talks and international scrutiny.
The CIA has concluded that Ukraine was not attempting to strike Russian President Vladimir Putin in a recent drone incident in northern Russia, US officials say, contradicting claims made by the Kremlin.
According to sources, CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed former President Donald Trump on Wednesday, informing him that the agency did not believe the reported attack on Putin’s residence occurred. The claim had been made by Russian officials and conveyed by Putin to Trump during a phone call on Monday.
At the time, Trump expressed concern over the alleged attack, saying he was “very angry,” though he also acknowledged it was “possible” the claim was false. After the CIA briefing, Trump appeared more skeptical, sharing a New York Post editorial on Truth Social which described the report as likely unfounded and noted that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky had denied any involvement.
The Kremlin and Russian defense ministry had asserted that Ukrainian drones targeted Putin’s residence near Valdai in the Novgorod region. The Russian ministry claimed that 91 drones were launched, with the majority intercepted hundreds of kilometers away and the remainder destroyed over Novgorod. However, no evidence has been publicly provided to verify the alleged target or trajectory of the drones.
European officials, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, have dismissed the claims as a “deliberate distraction,” suggesting the allegation may be intended to complicate ongoing US-led diplomatic efforts to broker peace in Ukraine.
The incident coincided with high-level talks at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump met Zelensky and expressed optimism about progress toward ending the conflict.
CNN reached out to the White House for comment. The CIA declined to comment.
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