Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on 19 August that attacks on industrial and infrastructure facilities are causing material damage to the country. At the same time, at a meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects, he insisted that such strikes allegedly have no critical consequences for the Russian Federation. Putin listed the attacks amongst the factors affecting the economy.
Briefly about the main points
- Putin has acknowledged the material damage caused by attacks on facilities in Russia.
- He denied that the strikes could have serious consequences.
- The attacks have been cited as one of the negative factors affecting the Russian economy.
- Putin estimated the current growth in Russian GDP at approximately 1%.
- Russia is drawing up a programme to repair damaged infrastructure.
Putin cited the attacks as one of the factors driving economic growth
During a discussion of the economic situation Vladimir Putin He described the current economic trend in the Russian Federation as «modest but positive» and estimated GDP growth at around 1%. Among the negative factors, he cited external pressure and attacks on industrial and infrastructure facilities.
The President of the Russian Federation described these as blows «terrorist attacks» and stated that they allegedly «have no, have never had, and cannot have any critical consequences». At the same time, he acknowledged that the attacks are causing harm to Russia.
On 5 August, the Bank of Russia lowered its GDP growth forecast for 2026 to 0–1%. The regulator also pointed to a temporary reduction in production capacity in certain sectors, but did not attribute this solely to the attacks.
Russia is stepping up the protection of critical infrastructure
Throughout 2026, the Russian authorities have been paying increasing attention to the protection of strategic enterprises, energy facilities and other critical infrastructure. On 13 March, the Russian Federation’s Security Council held a separate meeting to consider additional measures for their protection.
On 19 August, Putin also instructed officials to draw up a programme to repair damaged infrastructure. The announcement came against the backdrop of regular drone attacks on targets in various regions of Russia.
The stated objectives of such strikes include oil refineries, logistics and energy facilities, as well as enterprises linked to the Russian military-industrial complex.
