Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on Sunday that Ukrainian strikes were causing problems for Russia. In an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin, Putin stated, “As for strikes against critical infrastructure in general, and energy infrastructure in particular, of course these attacks on our infrastructure facilities create problems, that’s obvious.” He noted there was currently a shortage but it was not critical.
Ukraine has intensified its strikes on Russia recently, targeting energy and logistics infrastructure. Last week, Ukraine launched one of the heaviest drone assaults on Russia since the start of the war, hitting 12 regions in neighboring Russia as well as its own occupied Crimean Peninsula.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhailo Fedorov aims to turn Crimea into an “island,” isolating it from the rest of Russia. On Friday, Russian authorities in Crimea announced a state of emergency after halting all fuel sales to civilians due to Ukrainian attacks earlier in the week.
Putin said addressing fuel shortages across Russia and strengthening air defenses against Ukrainian attacks were top priorities during the interview on Sunday. Analysts say Ukraine’s efforts to eliminate Russian air defense are magnifying the strikes’ impact. CBS News reported that Moscow is experiencing a shortage of S-300 missile interceptors, crucial for its air defenses.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry says it has destroyed 1,454 air defense systems since Russia’s invasion in 2022. That includes seven systems destroyed from Friday to Monday, according to data provided by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense and analyzed by CBS News.
Putin said during the interview that the first task is to quickly and significantly ramp up production of those air defense systems most needed.
In a Russian nationwide public opinion survey released on Monday, 81% of Russians said they supported ending the war tomorrow, the highest figure since the war began in 2022. The survey polled 1,600 respondents by telephone.
Putin dismissed a Ukrainian proposal for a mutual ceasefire on long-range strikes during the interview, stating, “It is clear why this proposal is being made because our counter-strikes deep into Ukrainian territory are much stronger, have greater impact and are, frankly, more destructive.” He added that saving the Kyiv regime was not part of their plans.