Russian President Vladimir Putin informed U.S. President Donald Trump during their second phone call within 24 hours on December 29, 2025, that Ukraine conducted a drone attack targeting one of his official residences, a claim immediately denied by Kyiv, according to an Axios report by David Lawler cited in an X post by Barak Ravid between 5:46 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. UTC. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told journalists on December 29, 2025, that no detailed concept exists for a proposed “free economic zone” and demands for Ukrainian withdrawals from Donbas must be discussed with society, stating, “We have our own land, our own territorial integrity, our own state, and our own interests. We will act in accordance with the interests of Ukraine,” per an X post by Kateryna Lis in the past 29 minutes. The Putin-Trump call follows Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov's earlier statement that day detailing their first conversation, where Putin described the Novgorod oblast incident as Kyiv's "terrorist actions" and noted Trump's shock, according to TASS reports from prior briefings. Zelenskyy's remarks occur amid Russian claims of 91 drones targeting Putin's Novgorod residence overnight, contrasted with local reports of 18 downed, as stated in Kremlin updates and X posts reported earlier on December 29.
