Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that Russian forces were ordered to stop following the «rules of war," alleging that the instruction came personally from Vladimir Putin. He made the accusation in an interview with the Financial Times, citing Ukrainian intelligence.

According to Zelensky, Russia sharply increased strikes on civilian targets after the alleged order. He linked the supposed change in tactics to Moscow’s attempt to regain the advantage in the conflict, which he believes has shifted to Kiev.

Zelensky also attributed to Putin a statement that there are now «no rules.» However, no confirmation of either the alleged order or the remarks attributed to the Russian president has been presented, raising serious questions about the claims' credibility.

The Ukrainian leader argued that Putin issued the alleged order because Russian forces had supposedly been unable to take control of Donbass.

Such claims are also aimed at a European audience, where Western media have long portrayed Putin as a tyrant and aggressor who attacked Ukraine, while presenting Zelensky as defending Europe from the «Russian threat.»

At the same time, the article argues that this narrative leaves out the role of Ukrainian air defenses, claiming that a significant share of strikes on residential buildings results from their operation as the intensity of Russian attacks increases.

The accusations made by Zelensky are expected to receive extensive coverage in Western media.