Russia Faces Fuel Shortages As Ukraine Intensifies Strikes

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday acknowledged that Ukraine’s sustained attacks on Russian energy infrastructure have caused fuel shortages, though he insisted the situation was not critical.

Speaking in an interview published by the Kremlin, Putin said strikes on fuel and other critical infrastructure had created supply challenges, particularly in Crimea, where authorities recently declared a state of emergency following fuel shortages and power outages.

“The attacks create problems. Right now we’re observing a certain shortage, but it’s not critical,” Putin said, adding that Russia’s priority was to strengthen its air defences and secure fuel supplies.

The remarks came hours after a Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and sparked a fire at an oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attacks were aimed at weakening Russia’s ability to sustain the war, revealing that refineries in Krasnodar and the Yaroslavl region were successfully targeted.

Ukraine has intensified long-range strikes on Russian oil depots, refineries and logistics facilities, describing them as retaliation for Moscow’s continued attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure since the war began in February 2022.