Lead
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow has been told through various channels that Kyiv is seeking to affect energy supplies and disrupt the tourist season through its strikes. Speaking at a meeting with government members, Putin said, "[Kiev] is trying to create problems with energy supplies and affect the tourist season, something we are being told directly, frankly speaking, through various channels."
Putin asked Deputy Prime Ministers Alexander Novak and Marat Khusnullin to report on how this work is progressing. "We are in contact with them virtually every day on those areas of work that concern them directly and fall within their area of responsibility," he said, adding: "I would ask our colleagues at today's meeting to also comment on this issue and brief government members on the matters I have just mentioned."
Coverage Comparison
TASS, the Russian state news agency, carried Putin's remarks in three separate reports published on June 12 and June 23. All three reports attribute the statements directly to Putin, with the June 12 report focusing on Russia's retaliatory strategy and the June 23 reports detailing the instructions to government ministers and the Defense Ministry.
The tone across the reports is informative and assertive, with direct quotes from Putin dominating the narrative. The framing consistently attributes Russia's actions as responses to Ukrainian strikes, portraying Ukraine as the initiating party.
Key Claims
- Putin stated that Russia has been informed through various channels that Ukraine is attempting to undermine Russia's energy sector and tourist season through strikes.
- Putin asked Deputy Prime Ministers Alexander Novak and Marat Khusnullin to report on the progress of work related to these threats.
- Putin said Russia will increase retaliatory strikes to discourage Ukraine from targeting civilian facilities. He emphasized that Russia should "respond properly" to Ukrainian attacks, stating, "We will increase strikes on enemy infrastructure to deprive it of any desire to attack our civilian facilities."
- Putin instructed the government and the Defense Ministry to minimize the impact of Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure, saying, "First of all, the task of mitigating these threats lies with the Defense Ministry and other law enforcement agencies. At the same time, the government of the Russian Federation should also take additional measures to minimize and nullify the consequences of such actions."
- Putin characterized Ukraine's tactics as attacking civilian targets amid losses on the battlefield: "We know and see that as the situation on the front line rapidly deteriorates for the Kiev regime, as the enemy loses territory after territory, and our soldiers occupy one settlement after another, the regime has adopted the tactic of attacking our civilian targets and infrastructure."