- Russian President Vladimir Putin fielded questions about the Ukraine war from journalists.
- He hinted at another attack on Kyiv when discussing whether there'd be a new draft.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted at another attack on Ukrainian capital Kyiv in an interview with Russian bloggers and journalists Tuesday.
At the session with several ultranationalist military bloggers and state media war correspondents, Putin discussed whether Russia would launch another mass mobilization to boost the number of Russian troops in Ukraine.
At one point, he apparently suggested that he hadn't ruled out another bid to seize Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.
Russian forces attempted to seize the city in the initial weeks of the conflict but were beaten back, suffering steep casualties and equipment losses.
—Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) June 13, 2023
"Should we return there or not? Why am I asking such a rhetorical question?" Putin cryptically told the journalists and bloggers at the televised meeting in the Kremlin, Reuters reported. "Only I can answer this myself," Putin said.
After being defeated in its campaign to seize Kyiv, the Russian military refocused its campaign on taking territory in east and south Ukraine. In recent days, the Ukrainian military has launched a counteroffensive to drive Russian forces back in those regions.
According to reports Putin's aims in the war have shifted, with the Russian president still believing late last year that seizing total control of Ukraine was possible, yet more recently, according to US intelligence,seeming to accept that only more limited goals were realizable.
After suffering punishing losses in the early months of the invasion, Putin last year drafted 300,000 civilians into the military and launched a massive military recruitment drive. There have been reports since that Putin may be preparing to draft more civilians, and tens of thousands of Russian men have fled the country to avoid fighting in the war.
The Russian military bloggers who Putin spoke to Wednesday have been among the sternest critics of Russia's campaign, arguing its botched the invasion and been too cautious.
Putin's session with them yesterday was apparently an attempt to get them to back the Kremlin and boost public support for the war, The Institute for the Study of War said.