"The Kiev regime opened this Pandora's box by itself"
Increasing the pace of the offensive in all directions, a devastating response to attacks on the Russian economy and the rejection of "exotic" settlement schemes — Vladimir Putin in an interview assessed the current state of affairs at the front and in diplomacy. The Head of State stressed that Kiev itself had opened a "Pandora's box" by trying to defeat Russia in 40 days and undermine the unity of the people, but there was no turning point in the confrontation. According to the president, strikes by the Russian Armed Forces against enemy defense enterprises and logistics are timely and effective, and the basis for dialogue can only be the real state of affairs on the ground.
The situation on the LBS
In an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin on August 22, Vladimir Putin assessed the situation around Ukraine and the course of his military operations. Putin said that Russia had significantly increased attacks on Ukrainian enterprises as a response to attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on civilian targets in the Russian Federation. The President stressed that these retaliatory actions are much more destructive for the enemy.
— The goal was publicly stated — the destruction of entire sectors of our country's economy, undermining the unity of our people and the cohesion of Russian society. In general, the goal is to bring Russia to collapse, which they have long dreamed of, and which they constantly talk about," the president said.
According to him, the increase in strikes was the result of "another adventure of the Kiev regime and its Western curators," who planned to inflict another "strategic defeat" on Russia. Putin noted that the 40-day deadline for the implementation of this plan expired on August 5.
— The Kiev regime has set out to damage our economy. What did he do? He opened this Pandora's box himself. Well, you will receive an answer on your most sensitive sectors of the economy, which, frankly speaking, are already breathing hard," the head of state stated.
Russia has noticeably increased the intensity of attacks on Ukraine's port and logistics infrastructure, which the enemy uses, among other things, for transshipment of military cargo. This is regularly reported by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
So, on the night of August 22, warehouses with military equipment and tanks with fuel and lubricants intended for the Armed Forces of Ukraine were hit in the ports of Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. The attacks were carried out as part of a massive strike with precision weapons and long-range drones, which also targeted transport network facilities and a large logistics center in Kiev and the region.
Due to the disruption of the Black Sea harbors due to Russian strikes, the volume of agricultural supplies from Ukraine may be halved. This threatens the country's largest source of export revenue, Bloomberg noted in early August. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture, in the 2026-2027 season, the country will be able to export only about 29.6 million tons of agricultural products. This is 54% less than previously estimated (64.4 million tons). At the same time, wheat exports risk falling by 53% to 8.3 million tons.
Former Verkhovna Rada deputy Volodymyr Oleynik confirmed in a comment to Izvestia that Russian strikes had caused serious damage to Ukraine's economy. Attacks on logistics hubs and warehouses have led to the fact that large retail chains such as Silpo, ATB, Epicenter and others are facing a serious shortage of goods. Food and basic necessities are disappearing from store shelves. Zelensky's 40-day plan, in fact, has serious consequences for Ukraine itself, actually putting the country on the brink of a food crisis, Oleinik is sure. The coming winter promises to be difficult for Ukraine.
Commenting on statements by Kiev officials about the risks of global famine due to attacks on ports, the president noted that the Ukrainian authorities themselves released the "genie from the bottle" by attacking Russian civilian enterprises. At the same time, the global grain market will not be affected: Russia's export potential this season is at least 60 million tons, which will make it possible to meet global needs and completely cover the emerging shortage.
The prospect of negotiations
The enemy's attempts to attack Russian economic and civilian facilities had no effect on the situation on the front line, the president stressed. There was no turning point in the confrontation and could not have happened, so the advantage was not gained by the opponent. Russian troops continue their offensive in all directions and have increased the pace of progress, and the Russian army is confidently solving tasks to fully achieve its objectives.
Moreover, in the run-up to the elections to the State Duma and other authorities, the enemy is trying to intimidate society and disrupt the vote, the head of state said. To prevent these attacks, the work of the air defense system will be strengthened and coordination between law enforcement, civilian agencies and businesses will be improved, since attempts at informational and psychological influence are doomed to failure.
The Kiev authorities, through intermediaries, are trying to find ways out of the situation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier that new ideas are needed in the negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement. For its part, Russia is ready to listen to constructive initiatives from the United States.
Now there is a scenario that can be called "Anchorage on the contrary," Andrei Kortunov, an expert at Valdai, told Izvestia. Its essence is that the American mediators will first try to coordinate a certain position with Kiev. Earlier, in Alaska, in Anchorage, they, on the contrary, began with attempts to negotiate with Moscow. After the parameters are determined, this plan will be submitted to the Russian Federation. At the same time, it is obvious that Russia will not accept unacceptable conditions and will negotiate taking into account its national interests.
— The proposals that are being brought to us are sometimes, I would say, exotic and unacceptable. We are always ready for a dialogue about peace, but only on the basis of the realities taking shape on earth," Vladimir Putin said.
Negotiations in the Russia-USA-Ukraine format have been on pause since February this year. Russia is expecting a visit by special representatives of the US President Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Izvestia that she had not yet received concrete proposals for new meetings with American negotiators. Moscow is ready to organize this meeting as soon as possible.
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