Islamabad/Moscow, December 30, 2025: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday strongly condemned reports of an attempted attack on the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, describing it as a “heinous act” and a grave threat to regional and global peace.
In a post on X, the prime minister said Pakistan condemned “the reported targeting of the residence of His Excellency Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation.” He added that such an act “constitutes a grave threat to peace, security and stability, particularly at a time when efforts aimed at peace are underway.”
Reaffirming Pakistan’s long-standing position, the prime minister said, “We reiterate our firm rejection of all forms of violence and acts intended to undermine security and threaten peace.”
While Prime Minister Shehbaz did not name any country, Russia has accused Ukraine of attempting to attack President Putin’s residence, a claim Kyiv has dismissed as baseless and politically motivated. Moscow has warned of retaliation, raising fresh concerns about escalating tensions just as diplomatic efforts to end the war are reportedly gaining momentum.
President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed concern over reports of an attack on the residence of President Vladimir Putin, cautioning that such incidents risk undermining ongoing efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
The President said that at a critical moment, when talks to end the war are at a sensitive stage, actions that escalate tensions are extremely counterproductive. He urged both sides to exercise the highest degree of restraint and to direct their actions towards the success of dialogue and diplomacy.
President Zardari emphasised that peace remains the only viable path forward and that restraint and responsibility are essential to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
The allegations triggered sharp exchanges between Moscow and Kyiv on Monday. Russia said it was reviewing its stance in peace negotiations in response to the reported incident, dealing a new blow to hopes of an imminent breakthrough in the nearly four-year-long conflict.
US President Donald Trump said President Putin had informed him about the alleged attack during a phone call on Monday morning, adding that the report had angered him. “It’s one thing to be offensive. It’s another thing to attack his house. It’s not the right time to do any of that,” Trump told reporters, while maintaining that a peace deal could still be near.
A day earlier, Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Florida and said the two sides were “getting very close” to an agreement to end the war, though difficult territorial issues remained unresolved.
Meanwhile, President Putin struck a defiant tone, instructing Russian forces to press ahead with operations to take full control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. The Kremlin also reiterated demands for Kyiv to withdraw from remaining parts of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed Ukraine attempted to strike Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region west of Moscow on December 28–29 using 91 long-range drones, all of which were allegedly intercepted by Russian air defences. He said there were no casualties or damage, but warned that “such reckless actions will not go unanswered,” describing the alleged incident as “state terrorism.”
Reuters said it could not independently verify Lavrov’s claims, and no evidence was presented by Russian officials. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy rejected the allegations as “a complete fabrication,” accusing Moscow of laying the groundwork for possible strikes on Kyiv and government buildings.
The reported incident and the sharp rhetoric from both sides have further clouded prospects for peace, even as international actors continue to push for an end to the war that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
