Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has confirmed that military response plans are finalized following what Moscow describes as a Ukrainian drone attack on Putin’s residence. The confirmation represents an escalation from threatened to prepared military action, raising concerns about imminent operations.
Lavrov stated that Ukraine deployed 91 long-range drones against the presidential estate in Novgorod region during December 28-29. He characterized the alleged operation as state terrorism and explicitly confirmed that Russian armed forces had not only identified targets but had finalized plans for retaliatory strikes. Lavrov warned that these prepared responses would be implemented, though he provided no specific timeline.
President Zelensky categorically denied Russian allegations while arguing that Lavrov’s confirmation of finalized plans demonstrated that Russia had prepared these military operations in advance. He suggested that the alleged drone incident was being used to justify attacks that were already planned regardless of whether any Ukrainian operation occurred. Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine remains committed to peace processes.
According to Russian accounts, air defense systems successfully intercepted all incoming drones, preventing any damage to the presidential compound. However, Lavrov’s confirmation that military response plans were finalized suggested that Russia intended to proceed with strikes despite the absence of damage or successful attack. This raised questions about the proportionality and true motivations behind Russian threats.
Zelensky called on the international community to recognize that finalized military plans exposed Russian intentions. He argued that Moscow’s preparation of detailed strike plans before making public allegations demonstrated that Russian claims served to justify predetermined operations. The Ukrainian president referenced Russia’s history of attacking Ukrainian government facilities, including the Cabinet of Ministers building, as evidence that Moscow regularly executes such planned operations. He stressed that Lavrov’s confirmation of finalized plans revealed that Russian military action was already decided, with allegations serving only to provide post-hoc justification for pre-planned strikes.