Putin addresses diplomatic status and military developments in Ukraine conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Ukraine is targeting civilian infrastructure, specifically oil refineries, noting that such attacks have doubled since early 2026 and caused fuel shortages. Putin argued that these actions aim to destabilize Russian society and dismissed the possibility of direct peace negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Conversely, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed readiness to resume negotiations from the point where they were previously halted, while rejecting European Union-led peace initiatives. Ukraine maintains that its strikes on energy facilities are legitimate attempts to disrupt Russia's war financing and bring the reality of the conflict to the Russian public. On the battlefield, Putin reported that Russian forces are close to seizing Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region. The Russian leadership also alleged that Western support, particularly the provision of drones, is facilitating these Ukrainian operations. These statements were made during a speech to military academy graduates.