Putin claims Russian forces advancing in Ukraine and rejects talks with Kyiv

President Vladimir Putin told reporters that Russia is winning the war in Ukraine and that its forces are accelerating advances on the battlefield. He said Russian troops captured about 270 square kilometres in the Donetsk region in August and that two Ukrainian formations, totalling roughly 4,500 to 6,800 soldiers, were surrounded, though the figures could not be independently verified.

Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian drone attacks have damaged Russian oil refineries but claimed that only a small share of the facilities remain to be repaired. He described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's warning to airlines about drone activity as "state terrorism" and warned Moscow would respond if such threats materialised.

Addressing rumours of a new Russian mobilisation, Putin called them "utter nonsense" and rejected the notion that Russia would need to mobilise again. He also dismissed German accusations that Russia was behind a recent drone incident at Leipzig airport, suggesting the claims were intended to divert attention from domestic issues in Germany.

While rejecting negotiations with what he termed "terrorists," Putin said Moscow was willing to consider talks aimed at ending the war if they could produce tangible results. He reiterated openness to discussions with envoys of U.S. President Donald Trump, stating that any constructive contribution to the process would be welcomed.