Kremlin with sharp rhetoric: Putin, Medvedev and Lavrov outlined Russia's new goals in Ukraine
Moscow has intensified air strikes, declared Kiev a "phantom country" and reported an internal purge of war critics
Sofia, August 22, 2026 / In the afternoon of August 22, the three most influential political figures in the Russian Federation – President Vladimir Putin, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov – made key statements that outline Moscow's current course in the conflict. In a series of interviews and speeches before the party congress of “United Russia“, the Russian state leadership demonstrated a hard line, relying on increased military pressure and a complete rejection of Ukraine's sovereignty over the occupied territories.
Putin: Strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure are effective and timely
Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the intensification of air strikes against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure [source: Russian news agency Interfax – www.interfax.ru/russia/1110695]. In an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin, the head of state stressed that these actions directly facilitate operations on the front line.
„Of course, these strikes are effective. They are timely. And, of course, this helps our fighters, our boys, our heroes on the front to solve the combat tasks facing them,“ Putin said.
According to the Russian leader, the massive attacks are blocking Ukraine's logistical capabilities for the supply of Western weapons, ammunition and the rotation of servicemen on the battlefield [source: Kommersant newspaper – www.kommersant.ru/doc/8906289].
Medvedev: Russia will regain more territories that “accidentally“ ended up in Kiev
Dmitry Medvedev was even more extreme in his statements during the second stage of the congress of the ruling party “United Russia“ in Moscow [source: TASS / Public News Service – www.osnmedia.ru/svo/medvedev-v-hode-svo-rossiya-budet-vozvrashhat-vse-bolshe-territorij/]. He predicted a large-scale expansion of Russian borders and a complete demographic and territorial catastrophe for Kiev.
Medvedev emphasized that the Russian Federation will include more lands that, in his opinion, historically belong to Russia, but remained within the borders of the neighboring state after the collapse of the USSR.
- Territorial claims: Medvedev said that Ukraine has already lost over 20% of its “accidentally acquired“ territories and this process will continue [source: media 360.ru – 360.ru/news/ukrainian-crisis/medvedev-sdelal-prognoz-na-vozvraschenie-iskonno-rossijskih-zemel/].
- Demographic collapse: According to him, the country, which he called “holding 404“, has already lost half of its pre-war population [source: Ukrainian publication Focus – focus.ua/world/765381-skoro-eshche-bolshe-medvedev-prigrozil-ukraine-poterey-novyh-territorij].
Lavrov: Russia got rid of people who considered the special operation a “foreign war“
In parallel with the military and territorial goals, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commented internal political processes and social stratification in Russia since the beginning of the invasion. In an interview with VGTRK, he stated that the country has undergone a process of natural self-purification [source: Rosbalt agency – www.rosbalt.ru/news/2026-08-22/lavrov-zayavil-chto-rossiya-izbavilas-ot-schitavshih-svo-chuzhoy-voynoy-5665369].
„There are some people who, from the very beginning of the special military operation, decided that this was almost a foreign war. By the will of fate, we got rid of a large number of such people,“ Lavrov pointed out.
The minister added that the majority of these citizens are currently abroad and are “trying to do nasty things to Russia“, organizing conferences on its disintegration into smaller states [source: federal portal BFM.ru – www.bfm.ru/news/615902]. However, Lavrov assured that Russian society is currently “united like never before“ in support of the army [source: News.ru news agency – news.ru/vlast/chuzhaya-vojna-lavrov-rasskazal-o-estestvennom-otbore-v-hode-svo].
The synchronized rhetoric of Putin, Medvedev and Lavrov towards the end of August 2026 clearly shows that the Kremlin has no intention of de-escalating the conflict, but on the contrary – prepares Russian society for long-term confrontation until the full achievement of the set military goals.