Key facts
- Over 50 Ukrainian attacks have targeted Russian energy facilities since March.
- Approximately one-third of Russia's oil refining capacity is offline.
- Gasoline production has decreased by 17%, leading to widespread rationing.
- President Putin has dismissed the fuel shortages as "not critical" and insists the war will continue.
- Western analysts suggest the strikes have hampered Russian military logistics.
- Russia conducted a major 11-hour barrage on Kyiv, resulting in at least 21 deaths.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed the impact of Ukrainian attacks on his country's oil refineries, despite significant fuel shortages and rationing across Russia. Putin characterized the strikes as an attempt by Ukraine to distract from battlefield losses and insisted the war would continue until his objectives were met. He described the fuel crisis as "not critical" and pledged to accelerate repairs and consider gasoline imports.
Analysts, however, suggest that the more than 50 Ukrainian strikes on energy facilities since March have hampered Russian military logistics and slowed its advance. An estimated one-third of Russia's refining capacity is offline, leading to a 17% reduction in gasoline production and hours-long queues at gas stations in many regions. Crimea has been particularly affected, with gasoline sales to individuals halted.
Putin has rejected ceasefire proposals from Ukraine and its allies, viewing them as opportunities for Ukrainian forces to regroup. He has conditioned any truce on Ukraine's withdrawal from occupied territories and its abandonment of NATO aspirations. He also dismissed a Ukrainian proposal for mutual strikes on deep-territory targets, asserting that Russian attacks are far more destructive.
Meanwhile, Russia launched an 11-hour barrage on Kyiv, one of the deadliest attacks on the capital since the invasion began, killing at least 21 people. Putin portrayed these Ukrainian strikes as an effort to divide Russian society and force negotiations on terms favorable to Ukraine, stating, "We will not give them that chance."