Russia Increased Strikes on Ukraine After 40-Day Western-Backed Plan, Putin Says
Updated
Updated · President of Russia · Aug 22
Russia Increased Strikes on Ukraine After 40-Day Western-Backed Plan, Putin Says
3 articles · Updated · President of Russia · Aug 22
Summary
Putin said Russia sharply expanded the power and number of strikes on Kyiv, other Ukrainian cities and ports in response to what he called a 40-day plan to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia.
He said the strikes were effective because they disrupted deliveries of equipment and ammunition, hindered troop rotations and hit defense-industry upgrades that he said Western backers were directly helping Ukraine carry out.
August 5 marked the expiry of that alleged 40-day campaign, which Putin said had aimed to damage Russian civilian facilities and logistics, weaken the economy and fracture social unity through missile and UAV attacks.
Speaking after a United Russia congress ahead of elections, Putin cast the escalation as part of the broader war effort and said it was helping Russian forces achieve battlefield objectives.