"Ukraine is conducting a so-called counteroffensive. Right now, we won't say where it's a failure or not a failure, but there are no tangible results... There are losses, big losses. Since the start of the counteroffensive, 71,000 people have been killed," Putin said.
"As for the negotiation process, if the United States believes that Ukraine is ready for negotiations, then let them cancel the Ukrainian president's decree that prohibits negotiations," Putin stressed.
“During the clash, the FSB [Russia’s Federal Security Service] captured several people, [some] were eliminated, the rest were taken prisoner, it turned out that this was a sabotage group belonging to the Ukrainian special services. Interrogations are underway, which indicate that their mission was to cause damage to one of our nuclear power plants, to blow up power lines in order to ultimately disrupt the operation of the power plant. This is not their first attempt,” Putin said.