"Everything is working stably and with a large margin of safety"

On June 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin answered questions from Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin. The main quotes of the Russian leader are in the Izvestia article.

Attacks on critical infrastructure

As for the strikes on critical infrastructure, on energy infrastructure, then, of course, these strikes on our infrastructure facilities create problems, this is obvious. We are currently seeing a certain deficit, but it is not critical. There are several tasks that we need to solve here.

The first task is to quickly and significantly increase the production of the most in–demand air defense systems. They are constantly being improved in accordance with the needs for conducting combat operations, covering relevant facilities, taking into account what is being used by the enemy, taking into account the fact that new unmanned aerial vehicles with new technologies are being transferred to them from Europe. We actually have all these protections. The issue is the speed of increasing their production and supply to the troops, or to cover critical infrastructure facilities.

It is clear what needs to be done in order to ensure a normal supply, to get rid of this temporary shortage – we need to get out of repairs faster, we need to adjust the necessary volume of imports and reliably cover these facilities.

It is also necessary to coordinate the work of all levels and structures involved in repelling attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles on our infrastructure and, most importantly, people.

The main task here is to protect people, the civilian population, and minimize damage to the economy, individual industries, and industry. As I said, there is damage. But all damaged objects recover fairly quickly, and the problems that arise are not critical. Everything is working stably and with a large margin of safety.

About the causes of attacks on infrastructure

As for energy supplies to Crimea, the monthly demand is 70 thousand tons. There is currently a supply of several days in Crimea, but the needs will be met. We will increase these supplies both by land and by sea.

In general, attacks on our civilian infrastructure are being carried out not only to inflict some damage on us, but also to fuel an information campaign, and perhaps an information operation as part of the confrontation with Russia, at least in order to create self-doubt in our abilities, and even better – to bring about a split in Russian society and force Russia to suspend, at least for a short time, the offensive of our troops on the line of contact and create conditions for the start of the negotiation process on favorable terms for itself, that is, for our opponent.

We won't give them that chance. All these terrorist attacks have no effect on the situation at the front. All strikes, wherever they are inflicted on our infrastructure, have absolutely no effect on the situation at the front, on the line of contact.

About contacts in Ukraine and incoming offers

Yes, indeed, there are contacts. They are set up in several directions at once, and there is no secret here.

New offers are also being received. For example, to stop strikes deep into the territories from both sides. It is clear why such an initiative sounds: Our retaliatory strikes on the territory of Ukraine are much more powerful and sensitive, and they lead to serious consequences for the Kiev regime.

There is another proposal — to limit the fighting to only four regions: the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions, as well as the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, ending them in the remaining areas. Obviously, this would allow the Ukrainian Armed Forces to transfer forces from other directions to these regions.

In conditions of an acute shortage of personnel, the Ukrainian side apparently considers this option as an opportunity to improve its position. But saving the Kiev regime is not part of our plans. At the same time, we treat every incoming offer carefully, without any irony.

At the same time, we are taking into account the possibility of attempts by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to divert our attention and forces from solving the main task of completing the liberation of Donbass and Novorossiya.

About the situation on the line of contact

We talk about it all the time. By the way, our military correspondents in the media and on the Internet provide fairly complete and objective information about what is happening.

If we start with the North group, then its task in the Sumy and Volchansk directions is to create a security zone along the state border. It was installed after the Ukrainian Armed Forces invaded the Kursk region and continued attacks on the Russian border area.

As I have already said, the Ukrainian regime will pay for its actions in the Kursk region by losing the territories necessary to create this security zone.

The city of Sumy, the regional center, is about 10.5 km away. We do not have any political plans for the city or the region. Further actions will be determined based on the proposals of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff. The troops are active in this area and continue to advance.

If we move further from north to south, then the Zapad group has a large area of responsibility. As for Kupyansk, our troops are located 2.5–5 km from the western outskirts of the city. The enemy has already launched several counterattacks, but they have not been successful.