"Russia is winning on the battlefield, there will be no negotiations with terrorists" - Putin

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**Putin: "Russia is winning on the battlefield, no negotiations with terrorists"**

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on September 1 that Moscow was winning the war in Ukraine. He called the Ukrainian leadership "terrorists" and said Moscow would not negotiate with them, Reuters reported.

In his statement, Putin acknowledged the damage caused by Ukrainian attacks inside Russia, particularly the drones, which were a serious problem. Nevertheless, he said that Russia was advancing on the battlefield. "I have no doubt that the enemy will surrender," he told reporters, but did not specify when that would happen. He called rumors of a new military mobilization "absolute nonsense."

**Russian attacks are accelerating**

It has been four and a half years since the war began. Russia now controls about a fifth of Ukraine's territory. US-brokered peace talks stalled in February when the US and Israel launched a war against Iran.

Public opinion polls show growing war fatigue in Russia, with some warning of economic strains. But Putin has spoken confidently and sharply about the situation on the front lines, saying Russian military advances are accelerating.

He said Russian troops had seized 270 square kilometres of territory in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region in August. Two large Ukrainian groups, one with 4,500 to 4,800 soldiers and the other with 2,000, were also surrounded. Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Russia is continuing its advance towards the cities of Slaviansk and Kramatorsk. Putin added that Moscow's forces were preparing to launch a massive strike on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned airlines that Ukrainian drones would effectively close Russian airspace. Putin called the statement "terrorism" and said that if it happened, Moscow would find a way to respond.

At a press conference after the SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan, Putin said that negotiations with "terrorists" were impossible. At the same time, he said that Moscow was ready for dialogue aimed not at freezing the war, but at ending it. In addition, he reiterated his readiness to talk with representatives of US President Donald Trump.

"If someone can make a concrete contribution or add to this process, we support it. We do not want the process to stagnate. However, if someone can bring positive developments to the negotiations, which are now somewhat frozen, we are not against it," he said.

Putin specifically acknowledged that Ukrainian drone strikes had damaged Russian oil refineries. But he did not mention the widespread fuel shortages that had resulted from those attacks. The president said that defenses had improved. “Only 10 percent of our plants are left to repair,” the Russian leader said.

Earlier, The Economist reported that Putin feared that a defeat in Ukraine would endanger his life. The publication’s sources said that a defeat in Ukraine could threaten not only the political power of the Russian President, but also his life.