Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin has admitted for the first time that Russia is facing partial fuel shortages as a direct result of Ukraine's escalation of long-range drone attacks on oil refineries. Putin stated in state television interviews and at ruling party meetings over the weekend that attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure were clearly causing problems for drivers and businesses in Russia. Long queues at gas stations in many regions across the country were recorded, and some fuel grades were in short supply. Authorities in the Russian-occupied Crimea region declared a state of emergency due to fuel shortages and power cuts caused by the Ukrainian attacks. In the Irkutsk region of Siberia, thousands of kilometers from the Ukrainian border, fuel purchases at Rosneft stations were limited to 50 liters per vehicle per day.
According to Thai News Agency, however, Putin attempted to defuse the situation, stating that it was not yet a crisis. He ordered the establishment of a 24-hour fuel task force to ensure sufficient supply, particularly for agricultural use during the harvest season. The government is also preparing to utilize refined oil from the national reserves, currently holding around 1.7 million metric tons, and is considering imposing a ban on diesel exports to conserve fuel domestically. Furthermore, he is accelerating the production of air defense systems to protect refineries.
Ukraine's attempts to destroy oil storage facilities and refineries deep within Russian territory not only impact Russia's main source of revenue from oil exports but also bring the effects of the ongoing war to central Russia, which had previously been largely unaffected. Putin revealed that Ukraine had offered a mutual agreement to stop attacks on targets deep within both sides' territories, but he rejected the offer, arguing that Ukraine made the proposal because it could no longer tolerate Russia's more aggressive attacks, and that accepting the offer would help prolong the Ukrainian government's lifespan.
Recently, Ukraine launched drone attacks, damaging key oil refineries such as the Slavyansk refinery in the Krasnodar region in the south, and a refinery in the Yaroslavl region, located deep in Russian territory, 700 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.