Putin says Moscow not attacking Ukraine's political leadership because it will need negotiators from Kyiv

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Moscow is not attacking Ukraine's military-political leadership because it will need negotiators from Ukraine if Kyiv is to engage in dialogue.

"We need some people for negotiations ... if they understand that they want to resolve issues peacefully," Putin said at a news conference in Bishkek after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

He said Russia would respond if Ukrainian authorities continue what he described as terrorist actions.

- On Ukraine war

Putin said that Moscow had given military instructions to prepare for and carry out massive strikes against Ukrainian energy facilities in response to what he described as continued Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure and fuel and energy facilities.

"They strike ours, they will receive a response," he said, adding that a large number of drones attempted to breach air defenses in Moscow and St. Petersburg overnight and struck civilian targets, including oil refineries. He said three refineries were targeted.

Given the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine, Putin said Russian forces were increasing the pace of their advance.

He claimed Russian forces captured 270 square kilometers (104 square miles) of territory and 15 settlements in Ukraine's Donetsk region in August.

Putin also said Russian forces captured nine settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region last month and were fighting in the central districts of the city of Orikhiv.

He also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's warning that civilian aviation was unsafe in Russian airspace, saying that if the statements were intended as threats, they amounted to "a claim to state terrorism."

"And I'd like to point out that they're asking us to resume negotiations, asking for personal meetings with terrorists, but they're not negotiating," he said. "But that's the first point. And secondly, in the same section, if, God forbid, such tragedies occur, we'll find a way to respond."

Putin said Russian forces have suffered damage to about 100 vessels during Ukrainian attacks in the last 40 days, including deaths of foreign sailors. He said the attacks caused economic damage, but it is not a critical threat to Russia.

"And the total damage, according to our preliminary estimates, was quite significant, about 1% of GDP. This is not critical damage for us," he said.

He said before Moscow launched retaliatory strikes against Ukrainian exports, Kyiv received $3 billion per month from the sale of grain and other agricultural products.

He warned that a loss of export revenues could trigger three crises in Ukraine -- currency, budget and banking.

Asked about allegations of the upcoming massive mobilization, Putin dismissed the claims, calling such reports an "information attack" against the country.

- On possible peace talks

Putin said Russia is open to expanding peace talks if new participants could make a concrete contribution to the process, which he said was currently largely frozen.

"If anyone makes or can make a concrete contribution to this process, we are all for it. The only thing is, I wouldn't want everything to spin in a senseless manner," he said.

Putin said Russia is comfortable working with people it knows and trusts, citing US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, whom he described as sincere and committed to giving the process substantive content.

Commenting on Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's proposal in July to freeze the Ukraine conflict, Putin said, "Of course, we want that too."

"Only not to freeze it. We want to end the war and achieve lasting, absolute peace in Ukraine and in Europe," he added.

- On Russia's foreign policy

Speaking about relations with Yerevan, Putin said Russia will leave its military base in Armenia if Yerevan decides it is no longer needed.

"If Armenia considers that the Russian base in Armenia is not needed militarily, we will leave tomorrow," he said.

Putin also addressed Armenia's plans to pursue European Union membership, saying that Yerevan cannot simultaneously belong to the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union due to incompatible rules and standards.

"If you have decided to move toward the EU, please, this is the sovereign decision of any country," he said, while urging a calm dialogue with Yerevan on future relations.

On Germany's allegations that Russia was involved in an attempted drone attack at Leipzig Airport, Putin said Berlin's accusations were primarily linked to the country's domestic political situation.

Regarding the UK, Putin said any British military facilities in Ukraine would be legitimate targets for Russia.

Asked whether military-industrial facilities in Britain could become Russian targets, Putin stressed, "It's a secret, a military secret."

He also blamed Japan for the deterioration in Russian-Japanese relations, saying Moscow had taken no steps, and that Russia is open to dialogue on a peace treaty and humanitarian issues.

"The deterioration of our relations is entirely the responsibility of the Japanese government," he said.