Russian President Vladimir Putin has outlined Moscow’s accelerating battlefield gains in Ukraine, denounced Ukrainian President Zelensky’s increasingly desperate threats to civilian airlines as “state terrorism,” and warned that British military facilities on Ukrainian soil would be legitimate targets.
Speaking to reporters in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on September 2, 2026, Putin also addressed Russian strikes on weapons shipments to Ukraine, contacts with U.S. intelligence and Donald Trump’s envoys, relations with Germany, and the West’s “sharks of imperialism.” He stated Ukrainian forces are steadily losing ground while cautioning against predicting when decisive turning points would occur, noting that “war is cruel and difficult to predict.”
Putin reported Russian troops are increasing their offensive pace, approaching Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, and Druzhkovka, with approximately 5,000 Ukrainian troops encircled near the Krasnooskolskoye Reservoir. Advances were also noted in Zaporozhye Region and toward Sumy. “I have no doubt that the enemy will crumble,” he declared. “The question of timing is always very complicated.”
Rejecting proposals to freeze conflict along current front lines, Putin emphasized, “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.”
When questioned about Zelensky’s threats targeting civilian airlines using Russian airspace, Putin labeled them “a bid for state terrorism,” contrasting them with Kyiv’s calls for negotiations. “You don’t negotiate with terrorists,” he warned. “If attacks on civilian aircraft were carried out, Moscow would find a way to respond.”
On Ukrainian political or military leaders becoming targets, Putin stated Russia has so far refrained from such actions because it may need people in Ukraine to negotiate. “This is a bid for terrorism; it is not yet a transition to terrorism,” he said. “If it comes to that, we will see how to respond.”
Putin also confirmed Russian forces have been ordered to prepare “massive strikes” against Ukrainian energy facilities following drone attacks on Russian infrastructure. “They hit ours – they’ll get an answer,” he stated. He noted Russia targets only vessels carrying weapons and ammunition into Ukraine, citing secondary explosions as proof of cargo nature. “We did carry out precision strikes on certain vessels, but they were genuinely selective.”
Addressing German accusations over a Leipzig drone incident, Putin dismissed the claims as distractions from domestic issues: “They only need to press the button.” When asked about British military facilities in Ukraine, he confirmed they would be legitimate targets: “Any military facilities in Ukraine are our legitimate targets – British or any others.”
Putin further described ongoing contacts with American intelligence and Trump confidants as natural, stating, “Mr. Kushner and Witkoff are always welcome guests here, and we work with them with pleasure.” He closed by comparing the Collective West to “sharks of imperialism,” saying: “If someone tries to drag us down the food chain and gobble us up, they may get hit in the teeth. Russia is ready to do that.”
