Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure are causing harm to the nation, in a rare public admission during a meeting at the Kremlin.
Acknowledgment of Impact
Speaking to government officials during a session of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects earlier this week, the Russian President acknowledged the impact of what he described as "terrorist attacks" on the country's economy.
"It is understandable that a whole range of factors are affecting economic rates, including external pressure and terrorist attacks on industrial and infrastructure facilities," Putin told his cabinet.
Defiant Stance and Rare Admission
While maintaining his usual defiant stance by claiming there could be no critical consequences from the strikes, his subsequent remarks offered a rare glimpse into the reality of the ongoing conflict.
"Of course, there are no, have not been and cannot be critical consequences from such attacks," he stated. "But they do harm us, of course, this is obvious, we understand, see and know this."
Economic Restructuring Plans
He went on: "I would like to emphasise once again that we must reinforce our national sovereignty and be more effective in terms of our defence and security, as well as, of course, on socioeconomic matters.
"We are already carrying out the Economic Restructuring Plan, which provides, among other things, for creating modern, productive jobs and increasing output in sectors offering high added value – this is a matter of generating quality, robust growth within the national economy."
Meeting and War Context
The meeting, which was attended by figures such as Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, was ostensibly convened to discuss long-term domestic objectives, including demographics, education, and technological leadership. However, the shadow of the ongoing war loomed large over the economic discussions. Putin highlighted that despite attempts to project stability, the nation's economic growth rates were being visibly affected by external pressure and continued attacks on industrial enterprises.
Insisting that the country's essential networks remain functional, Putin added: "Here I will note that, despite the recent terrorist attacks I just mentioned, our trade infrastructure operates efficiently and stably. The work is being carried out in a tense regime, undoubtedly, but everyone working in this sphere is coping quite well with the tasks that time sets before us."
He concluded his remarks on the subject by demanding greater national resilience, stating: "I would like to emphasise again: we need to strengthen the sovereignty of the country, increase efficiency both in the field of defence and security, and, of course, in the socio-economic sphere."
Everything else that cabinet members said was removed from the transcript, as Putin ended the meeting with a simple four-sentence message. He said: "We understand the importance of everything we have discussed today. The discussion was fairly thorough, although the reports themselves were, at the same time, relatively formal. Yet the work itself should not be formal or merely procedural. Everything we do is important. Not a single issue is minor – not a single one. And I ask you to approach this work with a clear understanding of the importance of what we are all doing together."
