Explosive denials are flying across Europe’s diplomatic circles as Moscow points the finger at Kyiv for a headline-grabbing drone strike near Vladimir Putin’s lavish Lake Valdai getaway – but the EU’s foreign policy chief isn’t buying it for a second.

Kaja Kallas came out swinging on social media, blasting Russia’s claims as a blatant ploy to distract from its own attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure. 

Kallas declared, ‘The real aggressor is the one raining missiles on peaceful neighborhoods, not those defending themselves.’ Her remarks landed after Russian officials dramatically announced that a swarm of Ukrainian drones had zeroed in on the president’s private estate in North-West Russia. Moscow was quick to threaten a shake-up in ongoing peace talks, painting the alleged incident as a game-changer.

The rhetoric in Russia went up to fever pitch, with Andrei Kartapolov, top dog at the parliament’s defence committee, calling it ‘an assault on Russia’s very heart’ and screaming, ‘There can be no forgiveness for these actions!’ Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stoked the fire on state TV, and Russian media doubled down on the drone narrative.

Although the Kremlin insisted it needn’t share proof at first, the Russian army soon posted a video featuring a wrecked drone among snowy pine trees. A uniformed man pointed at the debris, claiming it was a Ukrainian Chaklun device. A supposedly authoritative map popped up too, tracking the drones’ journeys from Ukraine’s Sumy and Chernihiv regions. But experts aren’t convinced. The drone could’ve come from anywhere – its parts are so generic they’re up for grabs online, raising eyebrows about the real source.

Adding another twist, Russia’s defence ministry trotted out a local who swore he’d heard a strange, rocket-like noise during the alleged attack. But Russian investigative journalists painted a very different picture: they spoke to a dozen residents who said they’d noticed absolutely nothing alarming. ‘If something that major had happened, you’d hear it from every window – we heard nothing,’ confessed one baffled local.

Ukraine has wasted no time laughing off the whole episode. Foreign ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi scoffed at Russia’s evidence, calling the story ‘ridiculous.’ ‘It’s a botched job, even for propaganda,’ he told Reuters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, dismissed the accusations as desperate theatrics meant to sabotage US-led ceasefire efforts and muddy the diplomatic waters.