Putin: Russia is winning the Ukraine war, no bargaining with terrorists

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at a press conference during the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, stated that Russia is ahead in the war in Ukraine and declared Ukrainian leaders "terrorists," ruling out negotiations with them. Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian attacks inside Russia have caused real damage and that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) pose a particular challenge, but insisted the Russian army is advancing on the ground and expressed certainty that "the enemy will collapse."

Putin claimed that Russian units captured 270 square kilometers in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine in August and that a large Ukrainian troop grouping was encircled; Reuters could not independently verify this claim. He announced that Russia continues to advance toward the cities of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk and is preparing intense strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Characterizing Zelenskyy's warning that Ukrainian UAVs would close Russian airspace as "state terrorism," Putin said a response would follow.

Dismissing speculation about a new military mobilization as "complete nonsense," Putin on one hand ruled out talks with "terrorists," while on the other signaled Moscow's openness to "concrete negotiations" if new momentum can be injected into the process. This dual-toned message indicates that alongside the military trajectory of the war, the diplomatic door has not been completely shut.