The EU's top diplomat has called Moscow's claims that Ukraine targeted Russian government sites a deliberate distraction and an attempt to derail the peace process.
Kaja Kallas' comments on social media appear to be a reference to the Kremlin's allegation that Ukraine attempted a drone strike on one of Vladimir Putin's residences.
No one should accept unfounded claims from the aggressor who has indiscriminately targeted Ukraine's infrastructure and civilians, Kallas wrote on social media.
Earlier this week Moscow accused Ukraine of targeting Putin's private home on Lake Valdai in north-west Russia.
Russia would review its position in the ongoing peace negotiations as a result, the Kremlin said.
Since Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov first shared the claims, Russian state media and politicians have discussed the alleged attack in increasingly incendiary tones.
The attack is a strike on the heart of Russia, said Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian parliament's defence committee. After what [Ukraine] has done, there can be no forgiveness.
Although the Kremlin initially said it saw no point in sharing proof of the alleged attack, on Wednesday the Russian army released what it said was evidence of the attempted strike.
It included a map allegedly showing that the drones were launched from the Sumy and Chernihiv regions of Ukraine and a video of a downed drone lying in snowy woodland. A serviceman standing next to the wreckage claims it is a Ukrainian Chaklun drone.
The BBC hasn't been able to verify the footage, and it is not possible to locate where it was shot.
The profile of the wrecked UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) does bear similarities to Ukrainian-produced Chakluns – but because the components of the drone pictured are inexpensive and widely available online, they cannot be conclusively traced to the Ukrainian military.
Russia's defence ministry also released a video of what it said was a local resident who described hearing noises like a rocket at the time of the alleged attack.
However, one Russian investigative media outlet said it had spoken to more than a dozen residents of the area around Putin's residence and none had heard anything that could indicate 91 drones had approached or been shot down by air defences.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has strenuously denied the allegations, tying them to the ongoing US-led process to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine.
In recent weeks the American and Ukrainian delegations have been working closely, and Zelensky has expressed cautious optimism that his country's demands were going to be taken into account.
As the year draws to a close, hope for peace persists among Ukrainians, marked by community resolve and the search for unity amidst conflict.
