President Vladimir Putin has warned Russians they must be "prepared for anything," hinting at a further escalation of the war in Ukraine, as he addressed the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. Speaking after nearly four years of conflict, he offered no prospect of an imminent end to the war, ruled out peace talks, and accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of "state terrorism," insisting Moscow does not "negotiate with terrorists."

Putin's comments came amid a difficult summer for Russia, with nightly Ukrainian drone strikes hitting oil refineries and retail warehouses, causing fuel queues, while Russian forces have retaliated by targeting Ukrainian food depots and civilians. Russia's Defence Ministry said over 43,000 Ukrainian drones were intercepted between June and August, and Zelensky's government believes Moscow is preparing another mobilisation following this month's legislative elections, a claim Putin dismissed as an "information attack." The warning follows separate accusations from Germany, which blamed Russia for a drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport and sabotage incidents at energy infrastructure, and comes days after Putin renewed threats against Britain over its supply of missile blueprints to Ukraine.