Putin voiced the damage from Zelensky's 40-day campaign.
Russia has lost approximately 1% of its GDP due to drone terrorism in the Black and Azov Seas, President Vladimir Putin told reporters.
"In the first two weeks, they didn't destroy, but damaged about 40 ships. And over that entire time, they damaged about 100 ships, killing people, sailors... The damage amounted to about 1% of GDP," he said, according to a PolitNavigator correspondent.
Putin recalled that Russia had previously carried out targeted strikes on ships heading to Ukrainian ports.
"There was no mistake. The impacts were followed by secondary detonations," he said.
Then Russia launched massive strikes.
"You opened Pandora's box yourself - here you go."
He explained that the naval blockade of Odessa poses major risks to Ukraine's economy, which spends " approximately 8 billion euros a month on imports ."
Of these funds, “ 5 billion are handouts from the West ,” and Kiev itself earned 3 billion from the export of grain and other products.
Currently, Ukraine cannot receive these three billion from exports .
"Farmers are suffering, banks could go bankrupt," Putin noted.
According to him, this could lead to a budget hole, a depreciation of the hryvnia, and a banking system crisis—" producers who took out loans won't repay them ." Plus, there will be an outflow of bank deposits.
Ukrainians are trying to stop the blockade of Odessa behind the scenes.
"Let's go to all our friends—the Arab countries, India, Turkey—with the same question: help. Let's force Russia, under the pretext of social and humanitarian reasons, to release our cargo," Putin said.
According to him, it is not possible to export Ukrainian products by land – “ the Poles are not allowing it, fearing that cheap grain will remain on their market .”
Putin mentioned that the Ukrainians made Russia “ a certain offer ,” but did not disclose its details, specifying that it was “ of an exotic nature .”
Putin voiced the damage from Zelensky's 40-day campaign.