Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on Sunday that the country is experiencing "a certain shortage" of fuel, attributing the problem to repeated Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure during the four-year war. In an interview published by the Kremlin, Putin stated that attacks on critical and energy infrastructure are creating "obvious" difficulties, though he insisted they are not critical.
Putin's Remarks on 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," Putin said. "Right now we're observing a certain shortage, but it's not critical." He emphasized that the main tasks are to increase Russian anti-aircraft defense capacity and ensure fuel supplies, particularly to Crimea.
Crimea Declares Emergency
The authorities in Russia-annexed Crimea declared an "emergency situation" on Friday over fuel shortages and power cuts triggered by Ukrainian attacks on logistics chains and oil facilities. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move not recognized by the vast majority of countries.
Putin's Address to United Russia Party
Hours earlier, in a speech to the United Russia party congress, Putin vowed to ensure security and overcome challenges as Ukraine intensifies retaliatory strikes inside Russia. "Yes, we see the problems, we are aware of them and are responding to them, but we will certainly ensure the security of both the country and our citizens, as well as the inviolability of Russia's borders," Putin told party members. "We will undoubtedly overcome all the challenges facing us today, including terrorist attacks on our territory and infrastructure facilities."
Ukrainian Drone Strike and Zelenskyy's Response
Putin's speech came hours after a Ukrainian drone strike killed one person in Russia's southern Krasnodar region and sparked a fire at a refinery, according to the regional governor. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack part of "operations that weaken Russia's ability to wage this war." He stated on X Sunday: "The Slavyansk oil refinery in the Krasnodar region was hit – about 300km [185 miles] from the frontline. We also reached a refinery in the Yaroslavl region, approximately 700km [435 miles] from our border."
Recent Attacks on Russian Refineries
Last week, another Ukrainian attack caused a major fire at a refinery southeast of Moscow, shrouding the capital's suburbs in plumes of thick black smoke. These strikes are part of Kyiv's strategy to retaliate against Russia's near-daily barrages on Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure since the February 2022 offensive.
