Russia has launched massive drone and missile strikes on cities across Ukraine, targeting the country’s energy production and distribution infrastructure as the frigid Ukrainian winter reaches its peak.

In response to allegations that the Russian offensive is undermining ongoing peace negotiations between the two nations, an uncharacteristically jovial President Vladimir Putin stated that “the use of any Russian ammunition in Ukraine has been exclusively confined to the destruction of physical barriers to peace between the two nations.”

Putin further asserted that he had received incontrovertible intelligence reports indicating that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was, in fact, responsible for the destruction of civilian residences and energy infrastructure in Ukrainian cities in an effort to demonise Russia. He invited Zelenskyy to go “the Maduro route” and stand trial in Russia for his alleged crimes, if he had nothing to hide, to spare Ukrainians further carnage.