Russian President Vladimir Putin said he expects US negotiators to visit Moscow once Washington reaches an agreement with Iran over the Middle East conflict. In an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin at the Kremlin on Sunday, Putin stated: “We expect that after all the events are over, after the active phase on the Iranian track has passed, we will see the arrival of those representatives of the US administration with whom we have already met in Moscow repeatedly. We are ready to continue negotiations and discuss all the details.”
Putin Acknowledges Fuel Shortages After Ukrainian Strikes
Putin admitted that Ukrainian retaliatory strikes on energy infrastructure, triggered by his invasion, have caused fuel shortages. “As for strikes against critical infrastructure in general, and energy infrastructure in particular, of course these attacks on our infrastructure facilities create problems, that’s obvious. Right now we’re observing a certain shortage, but it’s not critical,” he said in the interview published by the Kremlin. The priority now is to improve air defences and protect fuel supplies, especially in Russian-occupied Crimea, where deliveries by land and sea will be increased.
Siberian Region Imposes 50-Litre Fuel Limit
As fuel shortages spread across Russia, Igor Kobzev, governor of the Irkutsk region in Siberia, announced that drivers will be allowed to buy no more than 50 litres (13 gallons) of fuel per vehicle per day at state-run Rosneft stations. Russia’s deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said Moscow is actively reviewing fuel export agreements to ensure domestic needs are met.
Ukraine Strikes Two Russian Oil Refineries
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his forces struck two oil refineries inside Russia over the weekend. A drone strike sparked a blaze at a refinery in Slavyansk-na-Kubani, a town in Russia’s Krasnodar region, killing one person and wounding another in a nearby village, according to local authorities. Zelenskyy also claimed another refinery in the Yaroslavl region, around 700km (435 miles) from the Ukrainian border, was hit. Local governor Mikhail Evraev reported that some roads between Moscow and Yaroslavl were temporarily closed due to “an enemy attack by Ukrainian drones”. Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram: “Each [strike] means a reduction in the resources that fuel the Russian war machine, and another step toward peace.”
Russian Attacks Kill Two in Zaporizhzhia
A Russian attack killed two people in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia and injured 16 others, including two children, said regional administration head Ivan Fedorov. In Russia’s border region of Belgorod, Ukrainian drone strikes killed one person and injured another on Sunday, according to acting local governor Alexander Shuvayev. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 213 Ukrainian drones overnight, including over Russia, occupied Crimea, and the Black and Azov seas. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia attacked with 142 long-range strike drones and eight missiles overnight, of which 125 drones and seven missiles were intercepted.
