Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has stated that Kiev and its Western allies must abandon the “dangerous illusion” of inflicting a strategic defeat on Moscow, warning that Russia does not prefer escalation but will retaliate against Ukrainian attacks on civilians and infrastructure.
In a recent statement published on Thursday, Zakharova accused Ukraine of demonstrating “complete unwillingness to negotiate” while escalating terrorist strikes against Russian civilian populations and critical infrastructure.
“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,” she said.
Zakharova added that escalation is not Russia’s choice, but progress toward a settlement depends on Kiev and its Western backers abandoning the “dangerous illusion” of inflicting strategic defeat against Moscow.
The remarks followed another major exchange of long-range strikes between the two nations.
According to Russian Defense Ministry reports, overnight forces launched a large-scale missile and drone attack targeting military-industrial facilities in and around Kiev, including plants producing long-range drones and components for cruise missiles, as well as storage sites housing fuel, lubricants, UAV parts, and dual-use goods.
Concurrently, Ukraine conducted an extensive drone raid against Russia, which the Russian Defense Ministry reported destroyed 726 UAVs across 20 regions of the country.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned Ukrainian incursions into its territory, labeling them terrorist attacks aimed at compensating for battlefield setbacks where Russian forces maintain steady advances.
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on Wednesday that Ukrainian strikes on industrial facilities had caused damage but noted they had not produced “critical consequences.”
In July, he warned that Moscow’s responses to Ukraine’s attacks would be “mirror-like” and “several times more powerful.”
