Putin home attack claim a 'distraction', says Kallas
· RTE.ieRussia's claim that Ukraine recently attacked key governmental sites in Russia is a "deliberate distraction", European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said.
"Moscow aims to derail real progress towards peace by Ukraine and its Western partners," Ms Kallas wrote X.
"No one should accept unfounded claims from the aggressor who has indiscriminately targeted Ukraine's infrastructure and civilians since the start of the war," she added.
Her comments come after Russia's defence ministry published a video of a downed drone that it says Ukraine launched at President Vladimir Putin's residence in north-west Russia this week - a claim Ukraine has denied as a "lie."
Russia has called it a "terrorist attack" and a "personal attack" against Mr Putin, saying it will toughen its negotiation stance in Ukraine war talks.
Russia made the allegation shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with US President Donald Trump in Florida.
Ukraine called the allegation it a "fabrication" intended to "manipulate" the peace process.
The video, shot at night in the dark, showed a damaged drone lying in snow in a forested area. The ministry said the alleged attack was "targeted, carefully planned and carried out in stages."
Russia has not said where Mr Putin was at the time, saying the attack was launched on the night of 28-29 December at Mr Putin's home in the Novgorod region. His residences are normally shrouded in secrecy.
The defence ministry said the attack started around 7pm local time on 28 December and was a "mass" drone launch at Mr Putin's residence, but said his home was not damaged.
It also published a video with a man it called a witness, saying he was a local villager from the settlement of Roshchino.
Putin wishes Russians victory in Ukraine in New Year speech
Mr Putin said Russia believed it would win in Ukraine in his New Year address, devoting much of it to "fighters and commanders" in Ukraine.
Addressing soldiers, whom he called "heroes", Mr Putin said: "We believe in you and our victory."
His traditional speech was first aired in the far-eastern Kamchatka peninsula - the first Russian region to enter 2026.
Today marks 26 years since Mr Putin came to power.
Elsewhere, Russian strikes wounded six people in Odesa including three children, the Ukrainian city's military administration has said.
"Drones attacked the residential, logistical, and energy infrastructure of our region," Odesa's military administration regional head Oleg Kiper said on Telegram.
Two children aged eight and 14 were wounded in the attack, as well as a seven-month-old baby, Sergiy Lysak, head of the city's military administration, said in a separate Telegram post.
A 42-year-old man was also wounded and is in "serious condition", he added. In his latest update he put the overall toll at six.
Mr Lysak said residential, logistical, and energy infrastructure was targeted. Parts of Odesa lost heating and water supplies.
Elsewhere Russian drones wounded two men in the Dnipropetrovsk region, its military administration head Vladyslav Gaivanenko said on Telegram.
In Russia meanwhile, two people were wounded in a drone attack on Tuapse in the Krasnodar Krai region, municipal leader Sergei Boiko said in a Telegram post.
The attack damaged a port berth and equipment at an oil refinery as well as homes.
Munitions strikes left three people wounded in the Belgorod region, its governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that a deal was closer than ever to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine but reported no apparent breakthrough on the flashpoint issue of territory after new talks with the Mr Zelensky and Mr Putin.