Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Tuesday that Ukrainian defenses would eventually “crumble,” threatened massive new strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and ruled out negotiations with what he called “terrorists,” while acknowledging that Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia have inflicted real damage.
Speaking after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Putin presented an aggressively optimistic picture of Russia’s battlefield position.
“I have no doubt the enemy will crumble,” Putin told reporters, without saying when or how he expected that to happen.
Threatens massive strikes on Ukraine’s energy system
Putin said Russian forces were preparing massive attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, adding to Moscow’s sustained campaign against the country’s power system.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s electricity generation, transmission infrastructure and other civilian energy facilities throughout the full-scale invasion.
The threat comes as Moscow has sharply intensified missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Admits Ukrainian strikes are hurting Russian refineries
Despite his claims of battlefield momentum, Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian drone strikes have caused damage to Russian oil refineries.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted refineries and other facilities supporting Russia’s war economy as part of its campaign to degrade Moscow’s ability to finance and sustain the invasion.
Putin claimed that only around 10% of damaged refining capacity remained to be repaired.
He did not address the fuel shortages and supply disruptions that have followed repeated Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s refining network.
Denies ‘nationalization’ as Kremlin shifts drone defense burden
Putin also rejected suggestions that the Kremlin’s expanding powers over strategically important facilities amounted to nationalization.
“You need to get nationalization out of your heads; nationalization was never even on our minds,” Putin said.
The remarks referred to his Aug. 24 decree allowing the state to impose temporary management on strategic facilities that fail to adequately protect themselves from Ukrainian drone attacks or restore operations after strikes.
The measure followed a growing wave of successful Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, logistics hubs and other infrastructure supporting Moscow’s war effort.
Calls Zelensky warning ‘state terrorism’
Putin also attacked President Volodymyr Zelensky over his warning to international airlines that Russian airspace is becoming increasingly unsafe as Ukrainian long-range drone operations expand.
“If this was said out loud, then it is simply a declaration of state terrorism,” Putin said.
“They are asking us to resume negotiations... but you don’t negotiate with terrorists.”
Zelensky had explicitly stressed that Ukraine does not target civilian aircraft and said Kyiv was warning airlines and governments precisely to prevent innocent lives from being lost.
The Ukrainian president said Russian airspace would increasingly become a zone of Ukrainian drone and missile operations as Kyiv exercises its right to strike Russian military targets and parts of the economy supporting Moscow’s war.
Lashes out at Germany over Russian drone finding
Putin also rejected Germany’s conclusion that Russia was responsible for an explosive-laden drone operation at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Aug. 4.
“I think it’s another mistake, a serious one,” he said of Berlin’s retaliatory measures. “And in my view it clearly runs counter to the interests of the German people.”
Germany announced Tuesday that its investigation and intelligence assessment had concluded Russia was responsible for the hybrid attack.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the drone’s components, explosives and ignition systems were known from other Russian hybrid operations and Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
Putin accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government of pointing the finger at Moscow to distract from domestic political problems and even alleged that Germany had planted evidence to frame Russia.
He offered no evidence for that assertion.
Berlin responded to its findings by announcing measures including the closure of Russia’s consulate in Bonn, tighter entry controls for Russian nationals and efforts to impose additional EU sanctions.