Putin vows crushing retaliation as Ukraine opens Pandora’s box

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to deliver a harsh response to Ukraine after the latter struck Russian oil refineries and logistics centers, according to an interview with the state television on Saturday. Putin termed Ukraine's actions as opening a "Pandora’s box," releasing a genie that would now come back to haunt them.

He warned that Russian military operations would become "significantly more noticeable and destructive." Ukraine's aggression, claimed Putin, was entirely its own doing, despite his own initiation of the conflict four and a half years prior. Russia has been increasingly employing ballistic missiles against Ukraine, aware of its adversary's limited defensive capabilities.

These strikes, he claimed, have been effective and necessary, helping Russian troops on the front line fulfill their duties. Ukraine, backed by Western powers, had failed to achieve its 40-day plan to cripple the Russian economy. Despite acknowledging damage, Putin argued it didn't grant Kiev an advantage on the battlefield. Russia would subsequently target Ukraine's most vulnerable sectors, which were already on the verge, the president announced.

He dismissed Ukraine's recent peace proposals as "exotic," rejecting them outright. Putin vowed Russia's victory in the ongoing war, attributing it to the unity of the Russian population and the courage of its soldiers and officers. Addressing the United Russia party conference, he emphasized the party's leading role and predicted Russia would reclaim more territory, citing Russia's ongoing territorial gains.

Deputy head of the National Security Council Dmitry Medvedev echoed Putin's sentiments, describing Ukraine as a "vanishing phantom state" that had lost 20% of its territory and half its population. Millions of Ukrainians have fled as refugees.