Kiev's goal is to derail our economy, we will respond - Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an interview to journalist Pavel Zarubin after the United Russia party congress on August 22. The main topic of the conversation was Ukraine's strikes across Russia.
Below is a rewritten version of the news text:
**Putin: Kiev's goal is to destabilize our economy, we will respond**
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Ukraine's strikes on Russian civilian infrastructure will be responded to. He accused Kiev of escalating the situation.
According to Putin, the Ukrainian government has "let the genie out of the bottle" by launching strikes on Russian civilian enterprises and openly declaring its goal of destroying the Russian economy. He stressed that this will be responded to, saying, "you will be answered." He also noted that the Russian Armed Forces have intensified strikes on Ukrainian defense-industrial enterprises, including those in Kiev, in response to attacks on the country's civilian infrastructure.
**About strikes on Ukraine**
Putin stressed that Russia's strikes on Ukrainian territory are effective, timely and help the Russian military solve combat missions at the front.
**On the situation on the front**
Putin noted that there has been no turning point in the confrontation with Russia after the strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and the Kiev regime will never gain an advantage in this confrontation.
**On proposals to regulate the situation**
Putin said that the proposals coming from Kiev are often of an "exotic" nature and are completely unacceptable to Moscow.
**On Kiev's goals and attempts to sabotage the elections**
Putin said that Kiev aims to harm the Russian economy, thereby "opening Pandora's box." Ukraine is also trying to intimidate Russians and disrupt the elections to the State Duma, but Putin believes that this attempt is doomed to failure.