The conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia on Monday accused Ukraine of launching a large-scale drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences in the Novgorod region, a claim kyiv dismissed as a “fabrication” intended to derail ongoing peace talks.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine deployed 91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight from Sunday to Monday. He claimed that all drones were intercepted and destroyed by Russian air defenses and that there were no casualties or damage. Lavrov called Ukraine’s actions “state terrorism” and warned that Russia would reconsider its negotiating position in the U.S.-led peace process.

Ukraine has strongly denied these allegations. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the claims “typical Russian lies” designed to justify further attacks on Ukraine and undermine peace efforts with the United States. “It is essential that the world does not remain silent now,” Zelensky said on X, calling for continued international support for the negotiations.

The accusation comes shortly after Zelensky met with US President Donald Trump in Florida to discuss a revised peace plan. Ukraine says it has accepted 90% of the US proposal, including post-war security guarantees, although territorial disputes remain unresolved.

Zelensky rejected the request

Speaking to Fox News, Zelensky said that while there is a “possibility of ending this war” by 2026, Ukraine still counts on support from the United States. He also expressed skepticism about Putin’s desire to seek peace.

The conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has left much of the eastern Donbass region disputed. Russia controls around 75% of Donetsk and 99% of Luhansk, while Ukraine continues to resist Moscow’s advances.

As tensions rise, international attention is now focused on whether alleged attacks like the one on Putin’s residence further complicate the fragile peace process.

By ALEXA ST. JOHN

Climate change made worse by human behavior has made 2025 one of the three hottest years on record, scientists say.

The strike, announced by the United States Southern Command on social media, brings the total number of known boat collisions to 30 and the number of people killed to at least 107 since the beginning of September, according to figures announced by the Trump administration.

The military said the ship “was engaged in narcotics trafficking operations”, although it did not provide evidence to support this claim.
In a video of the strike posted on social media, a boat can be seen moving through the water before being hit by two explosions.

President Donald Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and claimed that the United States is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.

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Along with the strikes, the Trump administration has been strengthening its military forces in the region as part of a growing pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is accused of narcoterrorism in the United States. Trump, asked by reporters Monday about “an explosion in Venezuela,” said the United States had “hit” a pier along a shore where boats accused of carrying drugs were “loading.”

“There was a major explosion in the dock area where they were loading the drug boats,” Trump said while meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida. Trump, the White House and the Pentagon provided no further details.

In December, the Trump administration also launched a new tactic, seizing two sanctioned oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela and pursuing a third. As a result, some sanctioned oil tankers have started to turn away from the South American country.

Maduro insisted that the real aim of the US operations was to remove him from power. For months, Trump has been hinting that he could carry out ground strikes in Venezuela or possibly another country.

The Trump administration has faced scrutiny from lawmakers over the boat strike campaign. This developed amid revelations that the first attack, in early September, involved a follow-up strike that killed two survivors clinging to the wreckage of a boat after the first hit.