Putin Admits Being Unprepared for Belgorod Attacks

Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted on Tuesday that Moscow was not properly prepared to respond to attacks on border regions like Belgorod.

Putin's comments about strikes on Russia's border regions came during a meeting with pro-Kremlin military bloggers, according to The Moscow Times.

In May, a series of attacks occurred in regions of Russia that border Ukraine, most notably in Belgorod. The Kremlin blamed Ukrainian forces for the raids, but Kyiv denied responsibility. Meanwhile, two Russian anti-government groups—the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion—declared they were behind the attacks.

"Of course, there is nothing good in this," Putin said of the cross-border attacks, The Moscow Times reported. "But in principle, one could have assumed that the enemy would behave this way, and one could have prepared better."

During the meeting, the Russian leader also reportedly said that his country's air defense systems could use improvement.

"This is a solvable problem," Putin said of the defenses. "It would be better if this was done in a timely manner and at the proper level, but nevertheless this work is being done."

The Kremlin-backed news agency Tass reported that Putin spoke to the war correspondents Tuesday about creating a "sanitary zone" inside Ukraine near Russia's border to prevent attacks in areas such as Belgorod.

Putin reportedly said that making "some kind of sanitary zone on the territory of Ukraine at such a distance from which it would be impossible to get our territory" could provide protection for border regions.

Putin also said his military was not sufficiently supplied with a variety of different weapons, The Moscow Times reported.

"During the course of the special military operation, it became clear that many things were lacking," he said. "High-precision ammunition, communications equipment, drones etcetera.... We have them, but unfortunately, there is not enough."

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via email for comment.

The remark about a lack of weapons is at least the second time Putin has made such a statement in recent days.

During a June 9 press conference in Sochi, he discussed what he said was the beginning of a counteroffensive by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's military. Putin noted during his comments that he doesn't believe his forces currently have a sufficient amount of modern weapons.

He "acknowledged that Moscow's troops are facing shortages of modern weapons, and expressed hope that the country's military industry will soon be able to satisfy growing demand," according to an account of Putin's Sochi appearance from Russian state media outlet RT.

Asked about Putin's admission in Sochi, Guy McCardle, managing editor of Special Operations Forces Report, told Newsweek that he believes Russia is running low on certain types of weapons" but added that "it is out of character for Putin to admit it."