Vladimir Putin Says Russian Strikes on Ukraine Infrastructure "Inevitable"

Vladimir Putin said in a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Russian strikes on Ukraine infrastructure are “inevitable”. “Moscow had long refrained from precision missile strikes against certain targets on the territory of Ukraine,” Putin told Scholz, according to a Kremlin readout of the phone talks.

The Russian leader added that the strikes would be “targeted and limited”, and would not cause any civilian casualties. This comes after weeks of escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, including a build-up of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border.

Vladimir Putin told Olaf Scholz that Moscow “had long refrained from precision missile strikes against certain targets on the territory of Ukraine”, according to a Kremlin readout of the phone talks.

The Russian leader said that the recent strikes were a response to the ” buildup of Ukrainian forces” in the conflict zone, and accused Kyiv of failing to adhere to previous peace agreements. Putin also told Scholz that he hoped Germany would use its influence to resolve the conflict, and urged all sides to de-escalate the situation.