Putin bemoans "certain damage" from attacks by Ukraine’s Armed Forces: "Russia will strengthen security"
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin was forced to publicly acknowledge that Ukraine’s regular attacks on Russian infrastructure are causing real damage to the aggressor state. However, he tried to assure foreign investors that the decline of the Russian economy is Moscow’s "deliberate plan."
Censor.NET reports this, citing his statement at SPIEF 2026 as quoted by Russia’s Interfax.
On attacks by Ukraine’s Armed Forces
During the event, Putin was asked how exactly Moscow intended to guarantee a stable economic future, minimize a range of risks and attract new investors at a time when Ukrainian drones are destroying critical industrial facilities in Russia’s rear.
Putin confirmed that Ukraine’s actions are hitting Russian capabilities.
"These attacks, of course, bring nothing good with them. Moreover, they cause us certain damage," the head of the aggressor state complained.
Putin described the only way out of the situation as another set of promises to strengthen security, deploy additional missile defense systems and reinforce Russian air defense. At the same time, he claimed that "serious business" allegedly focuses not on daily Ukrainian drone strikes, but on "a long-term historical perspective."
"Deliberate" GDP decline
Trying to smooth over the overall impression of stagnation in Russia’s sanctions-hit economy, the Russian dictator resorted to absurd excuses, presenting the deterioration of key indicators as "care for the financial health" of the country.
Putin said the Kremlin was recording a slowdown in gross domestic product growth and other negative trends. However, according to his version, this is being done deliberately: "We are doing all this consciously to strengthen the foundation, the health, if I may put it that way, of the Russian economy and macroeconomic indicators. We are deliberately moving toward cooling the economy."
Putin also responded to remarks that "everything has declined in Russia":
"We hear criticism from all sides that everything in our economy has ‘declined.’ Yes, but we have dropped to the level at which EU countries have been living for many years."
