Russia’s staged evidence deepens doubts as allies question narrative designed to derail Ukraine peace talks.
Russia’s information war escalated as the Russian Defence Ministry released video footage it claims proves a Ukrainian drone attack on a presidential residence. The briefing, led by Major-General Alexander Romanenkov, asserted that 91 drones were launched from Ukraine’s Sumy region and Chernihiv region toward a residence linked to President Vladimir Putin in the Novgorod region.
According to Moscow, air defenses intercepted all drones, causing no casualties or damage. The ministry showcased fragments said to be from a downed Ukrainian “Chaklun-V” drone carrying a six-kilogram explosive that allegedly failed to detonate. Crucially, officials did not explain how the device’s intended target was identified, nor did they provide verifiable timestamps or geolocation data.
Independent verification remains absent. Reuters reported it could not confirm the date, location, or model of the device shown. Western officials have openly questioned whether any attack occurred at all, echoing Kyiv’s position that the episode was manufactured to obstruct momentum in talks aimed at ending the war.
The optics are familiar: selective footage, sweeping claims, and missing corroboration—hallmarks of narrative construction rather than forensic proof. Even testimony from a local resident describing air-defense sounds adds atmosphere, not evidence.
For Israel and other democracies confronting hybrid warfare daily, the lesson is clear. Security claims demand transparency, chain-of-custody proof, and independent verification—standards Moscow did not meet. Absent those, such briefings function less as accountability and more as strategic messaging.
As scrutiny grows, the gap between Kremlin assertions and verifiable facts widens—undermining credibility at a moment when trust is indispensable for any genuine de-escalation.
