Moscow, December 30, 2025 (Agencies) – Russia’s mysterious shortwave station UVB?76, often referred to as the “Doomsday” radio, unexpectedly aired classical music including Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, hours after Russian authorities reported an alleged drone strike targeting President Vladimir Putin’s official residence in the Novgorod region.
The station, which normally emits a continuous buzzing signal with rare coded messages, startled international radio monitoring communities. Swan Lake carries historical significance in Russia, having been broadcast repeatedly on Soviet television during the 1991 coup attempt, symbolising political crisis or upheaval.
Russian officials said that overnight on December 28?29, Ukraine launched a reported 91 long-range drones at Putin’s residence. Moscow claimed all drones were intercepted by air defences, with no casualties or damage, and warned that the attack would not go unanswered. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the operation as “reckless” and suggested Moscow had identified potential targets for retaliation.
Ukraine denied any involvement, calling the Russian claims “fake” and asserting that the accusations were intended to disrupt ongoing diplomatic negotiations. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the reports as “extremely dangerous.”
The timing of the unusual UVB?76 broadcast fueled speculation that the music could signal a political or military alert. Analysts cautioned, however, that such deviations do not necessarily indicate official emergency action, noting that the station’s transmissions have historically experienced anomalies or unauthorized interruptions.
International reactions were mixed. Leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned any escalation, calling for restraint, while U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “very angry” about the reports but acknowledged uncertainty regarding the drone strike’s validity.
The combination of the alleged drone attack and the unexpected “Doomsday” broadcast has heightened global attention on Russia’s domestic security situation and the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, though independent verification of the attack on Putin’s residence remains unavailable.