Archive · 2 Sep 2026
Putin Says Russia Is Winning, Rejects Talks With Terrorists
Vladimir Putin said Russia is winning its war against Ukraine.
He claimed Russian troops are moving forward and captured land in Donetsk during August.
He also said two groups of Ukrainian soldiers were surrounded.
Reuters could not independently check these battlefield claims.
Putin said Ukrainian drone attacks had damaged Russian oil refineries and were difficult to stop.
He warned that Russia was preparing large attacks on Ukraine’s energy systems.
He called Ukraine’s leaders terrorists and said they could not be negotiated with.
However, he also said Russia could support serious talks aimed at ending the war if they began making progress.
Vladimir Putin said Russia was advancing in Ukraine and that Ukrainian forces would eventually crumble.
Putin claimed Russian troops captured 270 square kilometers of Donetsk in August and surrounded two groups of Ukrainian troops.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield claims, which included alleged encirclements of up to 6,800 Ukrainian soldiers.
Putin acknowledged damage from Ukrainian drone strikes inside Russia and said Moscow was preparing major attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
He called Ukraine’s leadership terrorists but said Russia remained open to talks aimed at ending the war if negotiations gained new momentum.
- Who
- Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian forces, Ukrainian forces, and the Ukrainian leadership.
- What
- Putin said Russia was winning and advancing in Ukraine, rejected negotiations with what he called terrorists, and expressed conditional support for talks to end the war.
- When
- Tuesday, during a news conference after a summit.
- Where
- The comments were made after a summit in Kyrgyzstan and concerned fighting in Ukraine, particularly Donetsk, Sloviansk, and Kramatorsk, as well as Ukrainian attacks inside Russia.
- Why
- Putin cited Russian battlefield advances and responded to Ukrainian drone attacks, while arguing that negotiations could resume only if they gained meaningful momentum.
Russian Position
Reported Ukrainian and Western Context
Battlefield situation
Russian Position
Putin said Russian advances were accelerating, that Russian forces had taken 270 square kilometers of Donetsk, and that Ukrainian troops were surrounded.
Reported Ukrainian and Western Context
The articles provide no Ukrainian response to these specific claims, and Reuters said they could not be independently verified.
Drone attacks and retaliation
Russian Position
Putin said Ukrainian attacks inside Russia had caused real damage, described a warning about disrupting Russian airspace as “state terrorism,” and said Moscow would respond if it occurred.
Reported Ukrainian and Western Context
The articles report that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned airlines that Ukrainian drones could effectively shut down Russian airspace; they do not provide his explanation of the warning.
Peace negotiations
Russian Position
Putin said negotiations with what he called terrorists were impossible but said Moscow remained willing to discuss ending the war if talks gained meaningful momentum and U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys contributed positively.
Reported Ukrainian and Western Context
The articles say U.S.-mediated talks had broken off and were somewhat frozen, but they do not give Ukraine’s position on Putin’s conditions.
- Claimed territorial gain
- Putin said Russian forces captured 270 square kilometers of Donetsk in August.
- Claimed encirclements
- Putin said one Ukrainian group of 4,500 to 4,800 troops and another of up to 2,000 troops were surrounded.
- Verification
- Reuters said it could not independently verify the battlefield assertions.
- Battlefield direction
- Putin said Russian forces were advancing toward Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
- Drone damage
- Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian drone strikes had damaged Russian oil refineries and said 10% remained to be repaired.
- Potential Russian strikes
- Putin said Russia was preparing massive strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
- Mobilization
- Putin dismissed rumors of a new Russian military mobilization as “utter nonsense.”
- Negotiations
- Putin said Russia was open to talks aimed at ending, rather than freezing, the war if someone could make a tangible contribution.
