Ukrainian intel: Russia launches information operation to derail peace talks
Since December 29, Russia has been conducting an information operation aimed at sabotaging agreements reached between the Presidents of Ukraine and the United States.
This was reported by the press service of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (FISU), according to Ukrinform.
“The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine draws attention to the fact that the drone fake is a nervous reaction by the Kremlin to the progress achieved following negotiations between the Presidents of Ukraine and the United States in Mar-a-Lago. Going forward, Russia will use the narrative of an ‘attack on Valdai’ to justify a tougher negotiating stance, future combined attacks on Ukraine during the New Year holidays, and to discredit Ukraine’s leadership,” the statement said.
The FISU emphasized that as part of the information operation, which began at 17:00 on December 29, the Kremlin has accused Ukraine of a deliberate attempt to attack Putin’s residence using 91 drones.
According to intelligence officials, the operation began with a statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and was amplified by pro-Kremlin media outlets such as TASS and RT. Within two hours, by 19:00, Lavrov’s narrative was echoed and expanded by other Russian officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, presidential aide Yury Ushakov, leader of the A Just Russia – for Truth party Sergey Mironov, LDPR leader Leonid Slutsky, and Alexey Zhuravlyov, first deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee.
The FISU believes that the speed and coordination of these statements indicate the operation was carried out on Putin’s direct orders and in accordance with talking points approved by Russia’s presidential administration.
Intelligence officials say several facts indicate that the alleged attack on Putin’s residence is a fabrication:
- throughout December 29, residents of Russia’s Novgorod region reported no drone attack or its consequences. The Kremlin is now attempting to remedy this by spreading fake messages on Russian social media platform VKontakte, purportedly on behalf of residents of the town of Valdai;
- a lack of tangible evidence, such as debris, photos, or video footage of downed drones, which the Kremlin has been unable to produce for nearly a full day after the start of the information operation. The FISU does not rule out that such “evidence” may be delivered later;
- Russia’s Ministry of Defense twice revised its official reports to align them with Kremlin narratives, initially claiming that 18 Ukrainian drones were detected, then increasing the number to 23.
The FISU also noted that Moscow had previously manipulated claims of Ukrainian attacks on Russian targets. In May 2023, it reported a drone attack on the Kremlin. In May 2025, it claimed that Putin’s helicopter had allegedly came under a drone attack during a visit to Russia’s Kursk region. Russian government sources later confirmed that the incident had been staged.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that durinf the night of December 29, Ukraine’s Armed Forces allegedly launched 91 drones at Putin’s state residence in Valdai, in Russia’s Novgorod region. He threatened Ukraine with a “retaliatory strike” and said that the targets and timing had already been determined.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called Lavrov’s statement about an alleged drone attack on Putin’s residence in Valdai “yet another lie by the Russian Federation.”
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine