Russia avoids talking about Ukraine's strikes — Presidential Office reveals reason
Photo: Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov (RBC-Ukraine)
Russia is avoiding public mentions of Ukrainian long-range strikes, as well as any criticism of Ukraine over these attacks, since doing so would expose its vulnerabilities, stated the head of the Presidential Office, Kyrylo Budanov, in an interview with Ukrinform.
However, despite Russia’s reluctance to acknowledge the issue publicly and officially, internal communications tell a different story.
Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian territory are now taking place daily and have a tangible impact, yet Russia avoids discussing them publicly.
There is a simple explanation for this: Moscow does not want to demonstrate its own weakness and vulnerability, as this could affect ongoing negotiations. Strikes by Ukraine’s Defense Forces are creating serious challenges for Russia, and acknowledging them would undermine the Kremlin’s narrative.
"They won’t do that, because it would mean admitting their weakness. But it does have an impact — and in their internal reports, they constantly point to it. It is a problem. Just as their strikes are a problem for us," Budanov concluded.
Strikes on Russia and negotiations: what Budanov says
Yesterday, Budanov stated that strikes on oil terminals in Russia are affecting the negotiation process. For this reason, Ukraine will hear "a lot of new things" from the Russian side at the next round of talks.
At the same time, he believes that peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow are moving toward an agreement, and a settlement of the war in Ukraine may not take much time.
Budanov also confirmed that amid the fuel crisis, Western partners had asked Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian oil terminals. However, Kyiv continues to act primarily in its own national interests, so the attacks will continue.
