Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia was winning the war in Ukraine and that Moscow would not negotiate with what he called “terrorists” – a reference to Ukraine’s leadership.
Speaking after a summit in Kyrgyzstan, Vladimir Putin also acknowledged damage from Ukrainian drone attacks and said Russian forces were continuing to advance on the battlefield.
Vladimir Putin struck a confident tone as he gave his most detailed public assessment of the war in weeks. He said Russian advances were speeding up and predicted that Ukrainian forces would eventually “crumble,” although he did not give a timeline.
Russia now controls about one-fifth of Ukraine, according to the report. Vladimir Putin said Russian troops captured about 270 square kilometers of Ukraine’s Donetsk region in August. He also claimed that two groups of Ukrainian troops had been surrounded.
Vladimir Putin said Russian forces were moving toward the eastern cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. He also warned that Moscow was preparing major strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The Russian leader sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over comments about Ukrainian drones affecting Russian airspace. Vladimir Putin described the warning as “state terrorism” and said Moscow would respond if such attacks continued.
Despite his tough language, Vladimir Putin said Russia remained open to negotiations aimed at ending the war rather than simply freezing the conflict. He also repeated Moscow’s willingness to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys.
“If someone makes, or can make, a tangible contribution to this process, we are all in favour,” Putin said, while warning against talks that produce no progress.
Vladimir Putin also acknowledged that Ukrainian drone strikes had damaged Russian oil refineries. He said defenses had improved and claimed only about 10% of the refineries still needed repairs. He did not address the wider fuel shortages linked to the attacks.
The Kremlin leader also rejected Germany’s accusation that Russia was behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport last month. Vladimir Putin accused the German government of using the claim to distract from domestic problems and falling approval ratings.
He further alleged that Germany had planted evidence to blame Moscow for the incident, but he provided no evidence for the accusation.
Vladimir Putin’s latest comments come as Russia faces signs of growing war fatigue and economic pressure. Still, his remarks presented a firm message that Moscow believes it has the upper hand on the battlefield while keeping the door open to negotiations that could bring an end to the war.
