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Putin Admits Economic Damage, Warns Ukraine of "Destructive" Response

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Photo by Valery Tenevoy on Unsplash

Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken again about the ongoing war with Ukraine, using strong rhetoric while also admitting difficulties at home.

Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian attacks have caused damage to Russia's economy.

Despite this admission, he warned Ukraine that Russia's response would be "destructive".

He also said that Russian soldiers would achieve their military goals.

The statement is seen as a show of force, combining an admission of weakness with a threat of strength.

Meanwhile, Ukraine carried out a new attack on warehouses belonging to Ozon, a Russian company, in the city of Orenburg.

The attack caused a fire at the site.

Ukrainian forces have increasingly targeted infrastructure inside Russia in recent months.

Along the front line, fighting between the two armies continues without pause.

Ukrainian officials reported 254 clashes with Russian forces in just 24 hours.

This shows that both sides are keeping up maximum pressure in the conflict.

The war, now in its fourth year, continues to affect both countries economically and militarily.

Putin's comments suggest that Russia is feeling the effects of Ukrainian strikes, even as it insists it will not back down.

Analysts say this kind of rhetoric is meant to show strength to both Russian citizens and the international community.

Vocabulary10 words

rhetoric
strong words used to persuade or impress people
destructive
able to cause a lot of damage
show of force
an action to prove you are strong or powerful
infrastructure
buildings and systems a country needs, like roads or factories
clashes
short fights or battles between two sides
pressure
strong effort or force to make something happen
conflict
a serious disagreement or fight
acknowledged
admitted that something is true
targeted
chose something as the object of an attack
warehouses
big buildings used to store goods

Quiz

1. What did Putin admit about the war's effect on Russia?
2. What did Ukraine attack in Orenburg?
3. According to Kyiv, how many clashes happened in 24 hours?

Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken again about the ongoing war with _____, using strong rhetoric while also admitting difficulties at home.

Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian attacks have caused damage to Russia's _____.

Despite this admission, he warned Ukraine that Russia's response would be "_____".

He also said that Russian soldiers would achieve their military _____.

Ukraine carried out a new attack on warehouses belonging to _____, a Russian company, in the city of Orenburg.

The attack caused a _____ at the site.

Ukrainian officials reported 254 clashes with Russian forces in just _____ hours.

This shows that both sides are keeping up maximum _____ in the conflict.

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Putin Admits Economic Damage, Warns Ukraine of "Destructive" Response - Practice English with News