Putin says Ukraine interfering in Russian parliamentary election | Reuters

- Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of interfering in Russia’s parliamentary election and said Kyiv aims to block peace talks, describing Ukraine as undermining negotiations while continuing its strikes on Russian targets. He also defended Russia’s reliance on a nuclear triad, called for improved air defenses, and noted Ukraine’s drone campaign has targeted industrial sites up to 3,000 km away.

Sept 18 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Ukraine was deliberately hindering talks ​aimed at ending the 4 1/2-year-old war and accused Kyiv of interfering in Russia's ‌parliamentary election. ... Putin, in comments to Russia's Military-Industrial commission, also reasserted Moscow's main defence aim of relying on its "nuclear triad" of weapons and said Moscow also had to move towards improving its anti-missile defences. ... In comments reported by Russian news ​agencies, Putin said Ukraine had "long degenerated into a dictatorship," referring to the country not holding ​a new presidential election despite the expiry of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's mandate. ... "The Ukrainian ⁠leadership is in no hurry to hold elections, as you know, but they are also trying ​to interfere with us," Putin was quoted as saying, without providing evidence. ... can be held in their country while a state of ... Russia's February ... 2022 invasion, ... in effect. ... Kyiv der

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