In a candid admission during a meeting with war correspondents, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged Russia's shortage of crucial military equipment, including drones, high-precision ammunition, communication tools, and aircraft, in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine. While Putin emphasized a significant increase in production of these weapons over the past year, he conceded that the quantities remain insufficient.

The Russian leader also addressed Ukraine's counteroffensive, claiming substantial losses for Ukrainian forces while suggesting the possibility of further Russian territorial gains to protect bordering regions. Putin downplayed the prospect of an immediate new troop mobilization, a concern among many Russians, but refrained from ruling it out entirely. He reiterated Russia's stance on the Dnieper River dam incident, attributing responsibility to Ukraine for the resulting widespread flooding.

This meeting, exceeding two hours, followed reports of a Russian missile strike in central Ukraine that claimed the lives of at least eleven people. Putin cited significant Ukrainian equipment losses, including 160 tanks and over 360 armored vehicles, while acknowledging Russian losses of 54 tanks since the counteroffensive's commencement. A U.S. official, speaking to the Associated Press, questioned the accuracy of Putin's assessment of Ukrainian losses, advising caution regarding Russian public statements.