Zelenskyy: 'The farther Putin is from Moscow, the closer the end of the war will be'
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
The end of Russia's war against Ukraine could be brought closer if attacks on Moscow force Russian leader Vladimir Putin to flee the capital, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with the Financial Times.
"When it is no longer one hundred drones but one thousand flying towards Moscow . . . he (Putin - ed.) will understand," Zelenskyy said.
According to the Ukrainian President, once the Kremlin leader sees such attacks on the Russian capital "with his own eyes," his advisers are likely to urge him to "relocate somewhere beyond the Urals."
"The farther Putin is from Moscow, the closer the end of the war will be," Zelenskyy added.
Attacks on Moscow
Ukrainian drones have repeatedly reached Moscow and struck important Russian facilities there.
In June, Ukraine attacked the Moscow oil refinery in Kapotnya twice.
The first strike, on June 16, damaged and set fire to the AVT-6 primary crude oil processing unit, which accounts for about 53% of the refinery's processing capacity. Following the attack, the refinery halted crude oil processing.
The second strike took place overnight on June 18. According to Reuters, it damaged the Euro+ processing unit, which accounts for another 47% of the refinery's capacity, as well as storage tanks, pipelines, and other equipment.
Afterward, sources said the Moscow refinery was unlikely to resume operations before the end of 2026.
Russian media have also recently reported that Ukrainian forces are now attempting to disable the last two oil refineries supplying fuel to Moscow.
