ST. PETERSBURG, September 25. /TASS/. Russia was prepared to resume negotiations with Ukraine following the elections, but Kiev attempted a massive strike on Moscow and also attacked polling stations in regions, President Vladimir Putin has told the media.
He recalled that the negotiations held in Istanbul in 2022 were interrupted by the Ukrainian side.
"A couple of weeks before the elections Ukraine announced its readiness to resume these negotiations. We said that holding talks prior to the State Duma elections was unlikely to be feasible, but that we would be ready to resume these contacts afterwards. However, what has happened recently is also well known to everyone. On September 19-20 -- that is, on the main day of voting -- an attempt was made to launch an overnight massive strike on Moscow. Over 1,600 drones entered the Moscow area. Secondly, strikes were carried out against polling stations. In one instance, the station was located in a school; the building was virtually destroyed," Putin said.
He noted that Kiev attacked the homes of territorial election commission chairpersons. "In one case, the commission chairwoman was wounded, her husband was wounded, and her child was wounded, while in another case, unfortunately, it ended in tragedy and, as you know, the territorial election commission chairwoman was killed when her home was struck," Putin said.