"Glory to God that we didn't transfer Tomahawk missiles to Zelenskyy," – Putin's advisor Ushakov says that Trump allegedly said this to Putin.
Trump and Putin United in Narrative Against Europe’s Liberal Stronghold- Russian newspaper
Q: Do you see indication that Putin wants peace?
Zelenskyy: I don't see it because he doesn't speak about peace. He says that he can go further. It's not a signal of peace.
Russia can endure longer if Ukraine stops getting help, and that’s the Russian plan: either pressure Ukraine into an unfair “peace” or choke aid to Ukraine so Russia can keep advancing.
Trump: "I saw a very interesting President Putin today. I mean, he wants to see it happen. He wants to see it. He told me very strongly. I believe him. Don't forget, we went through the Russia Russia Russia hoax together and he'd call me, I'd call him, I'd say 'Can you believe the stuff they're making up?' It turned out we were right. They made it all up."
The Kremlin accused Ukraine of conducting a long-range drone strike targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence in Novgorod Oblast on December 29. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that Ukrainian forces launched 91 long-range drones against Putin’s residence overnight on December 28 to 29 in Novgorod Oblast, likely referring to the residence in Valdai, Novgorod Oblast.[1] Lavrov claimed that Russian forces downed the drones and that the strike caused no damage. Lavrov condemned this alleged strike and stated that Russia will “revise” its negotiating position due to the strike. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone call on December 29, and Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov stated that Putin informed Trump about the claimed strike and told him that Russia will “reconsider” its position on peace agreements.[2] The United States has not published a readout of the December 29 Trump-Putin call as of this writing, though US officials — including Trump — confirmed the call occurred and that Putin made claims to Trump about the alleged strike.[3]
The circumstances of this alleged strike do not conform to the pattern of observed evidence when Ukrainian forces conduct strikes into Russia. Confirmed Ukrainian strikes in Russia typically generate evidence observable in open sources. Such evidence includes footage, often geolocated, of air defense operations, explosions, fires, or smoke plumes near targeted objects; statements from local and regional Russian authorities, usually downplaying successful Ukrainian strikes as “debris” from downed drones; and reports from local sources and media of fire or damage to such objects. ISW has not observed any such footage nor local or regional reporting about Ukrainian strikes near Putin’s residence to corroborate Lavrov’s claim. Lavrov’s claim of downing 89 Ukrainian drones over Novgorod Oblast is also inconsistent with the Russian Ministry of Defense’s (MoD’s) claim that Russian forces downed 47 Ukrainian drones over the oblast overnight on December 28 to 29, further undermining the claim. Ukrainian forces previously struck numerous military targets in Novgorod Oblast, which produced evidence.[4] The Kremlin has offered no evidence to support its claim that Ukrainian forces targeted Putin’s residence on December 29.
Russian opposition outlet Sota published an investigation into the alleged strike on December 29, reporting that Valdai residents did not hear air defenses operating overnight, even though Russian air defenses would have had to operate to down up to 91 Ukrainian drones.[5] Sota reported that drones launched from Ukraine’s northern border would have to cross into heavily protected Russian airspace, including multiple installations of Strategic Missile Forces facilities, air defense units, military aviation, and other assets that would either be under heavy air defense protection or themselves act as the Russian air defense umbrella. Sota concluded that Ukraine would have been able to strike Putin’s residence in Valdai through a “miracle” or deliberate Russian military negligence. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)’s Russia service reported in August 2025 that Russia increased the number of air defense systems defending Valdai from two to 12 from 2022 to August 2025.[6]
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"Peace-wanting" Putin said in no uncertain terms that the "special military operation" will continue. He called his troops to capture the city of Zaporizhzhia.
He did not mention how many of his troops have been killed for Putin's deranged imperialistic fantasies.
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— Anton Gerashchenko (@antongerashchenko.bsky.social) Dec 29, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Russia threatened today to launch fresh attacks on Kyiv after it alleged that Ukrainian forces attacked Putin's residence. Zelenskyy strongly denied the attack, calling the accusation, "a complete fabrication intended to justify additional attacks against Ukraine, including Kyiv, as well as Russia's own refusal to take necessary steps to end the war."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Kyiv attempted to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state residence with 91 UAVs, and all drones were destroyed, Russia Today reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed the accusation that Ukraine tried to attack Putin’s residence as a lie, adding that Moscow was preparing the ground to strike government buildings in Kyiv, according to the Reuters.
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Russian forces conducted a series of long-range drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of December 28 to 29.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 25 Shahed-type, Gerbera-type, and other drones — of which about 15 were Shahed-type drones — from the directions of Oryol City; Millerovo, Rostov Oblast; occupied Donetsk City; and occupied Hvardiiske, Crimea.[109] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 21 drones and that four drones struck two locations. Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Deputy Serhiy Nahornyak reported that Brovary and Vyshhorod, Kyiv Oblast, may remain without power for up to a week following a Russian strike against an electrical substation near Kyiv on the night of December 26 to 27.[110] Ukrainian energy operator Ukrenergo reported that it will continue and extend scheduled power outages across most Ukrainian oblasts on December 29 and 30 due to damage from recent Russian missile and drone strikes against energy infrastructure.[111]
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Ukraine’s air defense shot down or suppressed 21 out of 25 Russian drones overnight, including Shaheds and other types launched from multiple directions. Strikes were recorded at two locations.
Ukrainian forces likely continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian military infrastructure overnight on December 28 to 29. Russian opposition outlet Astra posted geolocated footage on December 29 that shows Russian air defense operations to Maykop, Republic of Adygea and assessed that Ukrainian forces targeted the nearby Khanskaya air base.[38] Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi noted that the Khanskaya air base is a key Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) rear aviation logistics hub.[39]
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- The Kremlin accused Ukraine of conducting a long-range drone strike targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence in Novgorod Oblast on December 29.
- The circumstances of this alleged strike do not conform to the pattern of observed evidence when Ukrainian forces conduct strikes into Russia.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refuted the alleged strike against Putin’s residence in Novgorod Oblast and warned that Russia will use this claim to justify strikes against Kyiv City and Ukrainian government buildings.
- The Kremlin may intend to use this claimed strike to justify its rejection of any peace proposals that come out of recent bilateral US-Ukrainian and multilateral US-Ukrainian-European talks.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin and high-ranking Russian military commanders held another meeting to aggrandize tactical details and create the false impression that the front lines across Ukraine are on the verge of collapse.
- Pro-war Russian ultranationalist milbloggers are publicly acknowledging that the Russian military command’s claims are exaggerated.
- Russian forces continue to commit war crimes in the Hulyaipole and Pokrovsk directions.
- Several dozen Belarusian smuggling balloons illegally entered Polish airspace, and Polish aircraft intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft near the international border overnight on December 24 to December 25.
- Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Siversk, Oleksandrivka, and Hulyaipole. Russian forces recently advanced in western Zaporizhia Oblast, in the Dobropillya tactical area, and near Pokrovsk.
**General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine**
*Operational information as of 22:00 on 29.12.2025 regarding the Russian invasion*
Since the beginning of the day, there have been 136 combat clashes.
The enemy launched 31 air strikes on the positions of our troops and populated areas, dropping 77 guided bombs, carried out 2,559 shellings and 3,202 strikes with kamikaze drones.
- In the North Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, Ukrainian soldiers repelled two assault operations by the occupiers. In addition, the enemy carried out 68 shelling attacks on the positions of our troops and populated areas.
- - In the South Slobozhanskyi direction, Ukrainian soldiers repelled nine attacks near Vovchansk, Starytsia, Prylipka, and in the direction of the settlement of Izbytske.
- - In the Kupiansk direction, the enemy attempted five times to dislodge our units from their positions near the settlement of Pishchane and towards Petropavlivka.
- - In the Lyman direction, the enemy carried out nine attacks, trying to advance in the areas of the settlements of Kolodyazi, Zarichne, and towards Yampil. Three combat clashes are still ongoing.
- - In the Sloviansk direction, our soldiers repelled two enemy attacks in the Dronivka area, and another battle is still ongoing.
- - No enemy offensive actions were recorded in the Kramatorsk direction.
- - The enemy made 16 attempts to break through our defenses in the Kostyantynivka direction in the areas of Oleksandro-Shultyne, Shcherbinivka, Pleshchiivka, Yablunivka, Rusyne Yar, and towards Kostyantynivka and Sofiivka.
- - During the day, the aggressor carried out 40 assaults and offensive actions in the areas of the settlements of Pankivka, Chervonyi Lyman, Rodynske, Myrnohrad, Novoeekonomichne, Pokrovsk, Kotlyne, Udachne, Molodetsk, Novoserhiivka, and in the direction of Filiya. Currently, fighting is ongoing in four locations.
According to preliminary estimates, Ukrainian soldiers have neutralized 130 occupiers in this direction, 70 of them irrevocably. Eleven vehicles and four UAV control antennas were destroyed. In addition, a tank, three vehicles, four UAV control points, and 14 shelters for personnel were hit.
- - In the Oleksandrivka direction, our defenders stopped 12 enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Tovste, Oleksandrohrad, Verbove, and Rybne.
- - In the Huliaipole direction, 22 combat clashes were recorded in the areas of the settlements of Solodke, Huliaipole, and Bilohiria, with three clashes still ongoing.
- - In the Orikhiv direction, the enemy has attacked twice near Stepove and Shcherbakiv since the beginning of the day.
- - In the Prydniprovsk direction, the occupiers tried to advance twice, but without success.
Glory to Ukrainian soldiers!
Glory to Ukraine!
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