Ukraine Rebukes UAE, India and Pakistan Over Condemnations Of Alleged Strike On Putin’s Residence — Kyiv Denies Attack

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Tuesday publicly criticized statements from the United Arab Emirates, India and Pakistan that expressed concern about an alleged Ukrainian strike on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official residence — an attack Kyiv says never occurred.

“We were disappointed and concerned to see the statements by Emirati, Indian, and Pakistani sides expressing their concerns regarding the attack that never happened,” Sybiha wrote in a post on X. He also noted that none of those three governments commented when, he said, “a real Russian missile struck the real Ukrainian government building on September 7, 2025.”

Russian claim and Kyiv’s denial. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters that 91 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted and destroyed near Putin’s official residence in the Novgorod region — located between Moscow and St. Petersburg — and said there were no casualties. Kyiv strongly denied the account. Sybiha rejected the claims, and President Volodymyr Zelensky called the reports a “complete fabrication.”

International reactions. The exchanges followed public expressions of concern from several international leaders amid more than three years of war between Russia and Ukraine. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X: “Pakistan condemns the reported targeting of the residence of His Excellency Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. Such a heinous act constitutes a grave threat to peace, security, and stability, particularly at a time when efforts aimed at peace are underway.”

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply concerned by reports of the targeting of the residence of the President of the Russian Federation,” urging that diplomatic efforts remain the priority to end hostilities. The UAE foreign ministry also issued a statement condemning the reported attack and called for restraint.

Diplomatic context and U.S. comments. Zelensky has been publicly promoting diplomatic engagement with the Trump team and a 20-point plan he says could help ease fighting in Eastern Europe. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, said he was “very angry” about the reports and described the timing as poor amid delicate negotiations. “I don’t like it, it’s not good... That’s no good,” Trump told reporters, adding that attacking a leader’s home during sensitive talks was “not the right time.”

Why it matters. The dispute highlights the fraught information environment surrounding the war and the diplomatic friction that can follow contested accounts of attacks. Kyiv’s forceful rebuttal underscores its insistence that the allegation was fabricated, while Moscow’s claim — if accepted by other states — risks complicating ongoing diplomatic efforts to reduce hostilities.

“Russia has a long record of false claims — it’s their signature tactic,” Sybiha wrote, summarizing Kyiv’s position.