RussiaThe Defense Ministry on Wednesday released video of what it said were downed drones at a briefing intended to show Ukraine tried to attack the presidential residence this week and challenge Kyiv denies that such an attack took place.

Kiev says Moscow has provided no evidence to back up its claims and that Russia fabricated the alleged attack to block progress in talks to end the war in Ukraine.

Officials in several Western countries cast doubt on the Russian version of events and asked if there had been an attack.

A video released by Russia’s defense ministry shows a senior officer, Major General Alexander Romanenkov, detailing how Moscow says it believes Ukraine attacked one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences in the Novgorod region.

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Romanenkov said 91 drones were launched from Ukraine’s Sumy and Chernihiv regions in a “thoroughly planned” attack that he said was thwarted by Russian air defenses, caused no damage and did not injure anyone.

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A video released by the ministry included footage of a Russian soldier standing next to fragments of a device it said was a downed Ukrainian Chaklun-V drone carrying a 6kg explosive device that failed to detonate.

The ministry did not explain how it knew the target of the device.

Speaking to Reuters, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said the footage was “ridiculous” and that Kiev was “absolutely convinced that no such attack took place”.

Reuters could not confirm the location and date of the footage showing parts of the destroyed device. The model of the destroyed device could not be immediately verified.

Other footage shows a man, identified as Igor Bolshakov from a village in the Novgorod region, saying he heard anti-aircraft missiles.