Putin Vows to Ensure Russia’s Security Amid Ukraine Retaliatory Strikes

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday vowed to ensure the security of the country and its citizens, as well as the inviolability of Russia’s borders, during a speech at the United Russia party congress. He acknowledged existing problems but asserted they would be overcome, including what he called “terrorist attacks on our territory and infrastructure.” The remarks came as Ukraine steps up its retaliatory strikes deep inside Russia.

Hours before Putin’s address, a Ukrainian drone strike killed one person in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region and sparked a fire at an oil refinery, according to regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev. Kyiv confirmed the attack, with President Volodymyr Zelensky calling it part of “operations that weaken Russia’s ability to wage this war.” He said the Slavyansk oil refinery in the Krasnodar region was hit, about 300 kilometers from the frontline, as well as a refinery in the Yaroslavl region, approximately 700 kilometers from Ukraine’s border.

Last week, another Ukrainian attack caused a major fire at a refinery southeast of Moscow, shrouding the capital’s suburbs in thick black smoke. On Friday, Russian-annexed Crimea declared an “emergency situation” to mitigate the fallout from increasing Ukrainian aerial attacks on the peninsula. Crimea has faced fuel shortages and power cuts due to Ukrainian strikes on logistics chains and oil facilities across Crimea, other Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, and southern Russia. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, though the vast majority of countries—including many of Moscow’s allies—do not recognize the move.