MOSCOW/KYIV – Russia is facing harsh, unprecedented pressure exerted by Western countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday.

"Russia is facing harsh, unprecedented pressure from Western elites. Unable to deliver a strategic defeat or battlefield victory against Russia, these forces have sought to destabilize its political landscape and stoke internal unrest, yet all such attempts have ended in failure," Putin stated at the plenary session of the 23rd Congress of the United Russia party.

He stressed that Ukraine has been weaponized as a "battering ram" in the West's confrontation with Russia, with blatant disregard for the Ukrainian people.

Putin pointed out that the West deliberately turns a blind eye to Kyiv's intentional strikes on civilian populations and infrastructure, as well as its near-open recruitment of domestic defectors in Russia to conduct sabotage and terrorist attacks. Despite these blatant provocations, the West continues to impose new, illegitimate sanctions exclusively targeting Russia, he said.

He added that Russia is firmly resisting all attempts to stifle its development, emphasizing that the country possesses ample capability to withstand such pressure, leaving no room for doubt.

Elections for deputies to the ninth State Duma are scheduled for Sept 20, 2026. The ongoing United Russia party congress serves as a key platform for the upcoming electoral campaign.

Ukraine strikes Russian oil refineries

Also on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian forces had carried out overnight strikes on two oil refineries in Russia.

In a post on X, Zelensky said one of the targets was the Slavyansk oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region, about 300 km from the frontline.

Local media reported that the refinery has an annual processing capacity of some 4 million tons of oil.

He said another refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl region, about 700 km from the Ukrainian-Russian border, was also targeted, but did not give further details.

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Zelensky said the strikes were aimed at weakening Russia's ability to sustain its war effort.

"Each of our long-range sanctions means fewer resources serving Russia's war machine, and another step toward peace," he wrote.