Putin threatens Ukraine with retaliation: We will strike Kyiv’s most sensitive economic sectors

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of attacks against Ukraine following a drone strike carried out during the night of August 21-22 against a logistics center belonging to Russian online retailer Ozon in the Samara region. The attack caused a fire, casualties and injuries.

Putin accused Kyiv of having “opened Pandora’s box” by targeting Russia’s economic infrastructure. According to him, Moscow’s response will focus on “the most sensitive sectors” of the Ukrainian economy, which he described as already facing major difficulties.

“Kyiv opened Pandora’s box when it decided to attack our economic infrastructure. There will be a response targeting its most sensitive economic sectors, which are already on the brink of collapse,” Putin declared.

The Kremlin chief said Moscow remained ready for negotiations, but rejected Ukraine’s peace proposals, calling them “exotic and unacceptable” to Russia.

He also claimed that Ukrainian forces had not achieved any decisive success on the battlefield, despite the attacks carried out against targets on Russian territory.

“We are ready to negotiate,” Putin said, describing the idea of defeating Russia within 40 days as “another Kyiv adventure.”

According to Russian authorities, more than 500 employees of the Ozon center were evacuated within minutes of the attack, which caused casualties and injuries.

The drone strike on the night of August 21-22 targeted Ozon’s logistics center, one of Russia’s largest e-commerce companies.

Meanwhile, Russian attacks continued in Ukraine during the same night. Deaths and injuries were reported in Kyiv, while a warehouse caught fire after an alert over missile attacks.

In Zaporizhzhia, a Russian drone killed one person and injured four others.

These developments followed Friday’s Russian bombardments in Ukraine, in which at least 20 people were killed, according to Ukrainian authorities. The victims included 16 people killed in a drone attack on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih.

French President Emmanuel Macron has meanwhile announced that Ukraine will receive a new supply of interceptor missiles. The announcement comes as Kyiv faces shortages of air defense systems and ammunition needed to counter Russian attacks.

Macron said he had spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following the Russian attack on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, where a large number of civilians were killed.

The coalition of countries supporting Ukraine is expected to hold a meeting on August 24. The gathering will be co-chaired by Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham.