Putin on Kiev’s ‘terrorism,’ British ‘legitimate targets’ and a ‘military secret’ (KEY REMARKS)

The president has addressed Ukrainian threats to civilian aviation amid battlefield losses, and promised further retaliation for attacks on Russian infrastructure Russian President Vladimir Putin has outlined Russia’s accelerating battlefield gains in Ukraine, denounced Kiev’s increasingly desperate threats to civilian aviation as a bid for “state terrorism,” and warned that British military facilities on Ukrainian soil would be “legitimate targets.” Speaking to reporters in Bishkek, Putin also addressed Moscow’s strikes on ships carrying weapons to Ukraine, contacts with US intelligence and Trump’s envoys, relations with Germany, and what he described as the West’s “sharks of imperialism.” Here are the key takeaways: ’The enemy will crumble’ Putin said Ukrainian forces are steadily losing ground, while cautioning against predicting exactly when a decisive turning point could come because “war is cruel and difficult to predict.” Russian troops are not merely advancing but “increasing the pace of the offensive,” he said, giving a detailed rundown of developments across the front. Putin said Russian forces are approaching Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and Druzhkovka, while claiming that roughly 5,000 Ukrainian troops have been physically encircled near the Krasnooskolskoye Reservoir. He also reported advances in Zaporozhye Region and toward Sumy. “I have no doubt that the enemy will ‘crumble.’ The question of timing is always very complicated.” The Russian president also rejected proposals merely to freeze the conflict along the current front line. “We don’t want to freeze it. We want to end the war and achieve a lasting, absolute peace – both in Ukraine and in Europe.” ’No negotiations with terrorists’ Asked about Vladimir Zelensky’s threat to civilian airlines using Russian airspace, Putin said the remarks amounted to “a bid for state terrorism,” contrasting them with Kiev’s simultaneous calls for “negotiations and personal meetings.” Read more ‘No negotiations with terrorists’ – Putin on Zelensky’s threat to civil aviation (VIDEO) “You don’t negotiate with terrorists,” Putin said, warning that if attacks on civilian aircraft were actually carried out, Moscow would find a way to respond.

Asked whether Ukrainian political and military leaders could become targets, Putin said Moscow has so far refrained from such strikes because it may ultimately need people on the Ukrainian side with whom to negotiate. “This is a bid for terrorism; it is not yet a transition to terrorism. If it comes to that, we will see how to respond. We will find the tools.” ’They hit ours – they’ll get an answer’ Putin said the Russian military has been ordered to prepare “massive strikes” against Ukrainian energy facilities in response to attacks on Russian civilian and fuel infrastructure. Ukrainian drones again attempted overnight to penetrate the air defenses of Moscow and St. Petersburg and strike three Russian oil refineries, but the attacks were repelled, according to the president. “They hit ours – they’ll get an answer. That’s roughly how things stand.” Putin also said a recent decree allowing temporary state management of poorly protected critical infrastructure was intended to force private companies and state agencies to cooperate more closely on defense against drone attacks, rejecting suggestions that it amounted to nationalization. ’Kiev opened Pandora’s box’ Putin stressed that Russia had not been attacking Ukrainian shipping at random, but had targeted only vessels that were bringing weapons or ammunition into Ukraine, arguing that secondary explosions following the atta