Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Friday that any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine while fighting continues would be treated as “legitimate targets” by Moscow’s forces, in his latest rejection of Western security proposals. “If any troops appear there, especially now while fighting is ongoing, we assume that they will be legitimate targets,” Putin said during a panel at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, according to AP’s report. His comments came hours after European leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a future peacekeeping or security mission in Ukraine, a plan the Kreml

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Friday that any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine while fighting continues would be treated as “legitimate targets” by Moscow’s forces, in his latest rejection of Western security proposals. “If any troops appear there, especially now while fighting is ongoing, we assume that they will be legitimate targets,” Putin said during a panel at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, according to AP’s report. His comments came hours after European leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a future peacekeeping or security mission in Ukraine, a plan the Kremlin has repeatedly described as “unacceptable.” Putin also dismissed the idea of foreign peacekeepers even after a final settlement, though he said Russia would honor any formal peace agreement. “No one should doubt that,” he said, adding that any deal would require security guarantees for both sides. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later told Argumenty i Fakty that Moscow would need “legally binding documents” for any such guarantees. “Of course, you can’t just take anybody’s word for something,” he said. Putin’s remarks followed French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement Thursday that 26 of Ukraine’s allies had pledged to deploy forces [or maintain a presence on land, at sea or in the air] as a “reassurance force” once fighting ends. The commitments were made at a Paris meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” a grouping of 35 countries backing Kyiv. Macron said the plan was designed to guarantee Ukraine’s security “the day after peace is achieved.” AP reports that addressing Italy’s Ambrosetti Forum on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged that guarantees be implemented before the war ends. “It is important that security guarantees start working now, during the war, and not only after it ends,” he said, declining to provide further details for security reasons. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force reported that Russian forces launched 157 drones and seven missiles overnight, of which 121 drones were destroyed or jammed. In Dnipro, multiple residential buildings were damaged, and an unspecified facility caught fire, regional governor Serhii Lysak said. Photos posted online showed shattered windows, debris on the ground, and residents carrying boards to cover damaged homes. In northern Chernihiv region, drone strikes hit infrastructure in the Novhorod-Siversk district, leaving at least 15 settlements without electricity, officials said. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces downed 92 Ukrainian drones overnight. Local reports in Ryazan, about 200 kilometers southeast of Moscow, said a Rosneft oil refinery had been targeted. Videos appeared to show a fire in the area. Regional governor Pavel Malkov confirmed drone debris fell on an “industrial enterprise,” but did not provide details. Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian oil infrastructure in recent weeks, saying the facilities fuel Moscow’s war effort. The attacks have disrupted fuel supplies in some Russian regions, with gas shortages, rationing, and long queues reported.  

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