The claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the military to launch large strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure is factually accurate. Putin made this announcement on September 1, 2026, during a press conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
Speaking to reporters, Putin stated: “The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have been given instructions to prepare and carry out massive strikes against Ukraine’s energy facilities.” He added: “They strike at ours — they will get a response.”
Putin framed the order as a retaliatory measure. According to his statement, the strikes are a direct response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure and the country’s fuel and energy complex. The Russian Defense Ministry had already announced on August 30, 2026, that the armed forces had begun preparing massive strikes against Ukraine’s energy facilities in accordance with the received instructions.
In the same press conference, Putin also reported that Russian troops had captured 270 square kilometers of Ukraine’s Donetsk region in August 2026 and that a large group of Ukrainian troops were surrounded. He stated that Russian forces continue to advance towards the cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
This is not the first such threat. In July 2026, Putin had already called for continued massive strikes. The previous week, he had warned that Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure had opened a “Pandora’s box” and that Moscow would hit Ukraine’s most sensitive economic sectors.
The announcement was widely reported by multiple international news agencies and major media outlets covering the conflict.
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