Ukraine has intensified its drone assaults on Russian energy infrastructure, most recently igniting a major oil refinery in the Krasnodar region, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged Sunday that the nation is experiencing a "certain deficit" of fuel. Putin pledged to strengthen the protection of oil facilities and boost fuel output.
These strikes are part of Ukraine's strategy to curtail Moscow's revenue for its ongoing invasion and to make the conflict's consequences felt within Russia.
"Each (strike) means a reduction in the resources that fuel the Russian war machine, and another step toward peace," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Telegram, claiming that Ukrainian drones had reached two oil refineries in Russia.
Putin, speaking to Russian state TV, characterized the Ukrainian attacks as an effort to "cause a split in Russian society and force Russia to halt... the advance of our troops... and create conditions for launching a negotiation process on terms advantageous to our adversary." He asserted that such strikes have "absolutely no effect on the situation at the front."
He also mentioned that Ukraine had proposed halting deep strikes, arguing that Russian strikes into Ukrainian territory were more devastating. Putin rejected a proposal to limit fighting to four annexed Ukrainian regions, stating it would allow Ukraine to redeploy forces.
The refinery in Slavyansk-na-Kubani, located east of occupied Crimea, caught fire due to falling debris from downed Ukrainian drones. Regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev confirmed the incident, which resulted in one death in Slavyansk and another injury in a nearby village. The facility processes nearly 4 million tons of crude oil annually and is a significant source for exports via Black Sea ports.
Zelenskyy also claimed a strike on a refinery in the Yaroslavl region, approximately 700 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Russian authorities did not immediately confirm this strike, though local officials reported temporary road closures between Moscow and Yaroslavl due to a drone attack.
For months, Ukraine has targeted energy facilities within Russia, a major global oil and gas exporter despite Western sanctions. Recent efforts have focused on disrupting fuel supplies to Crimea, leading to fuel rationing there after targeting supply routes.
Putin stated that damaged facilities are being restored quickly and that issues are "not critical." He committed to increasing fuel deliveries to Crimea by land and sea and assured that arms industries would accelerate the production of air defense systems. Russia also plans to import more fuel to address the "temporary deficit."
Fuel shortages have impacted regions far from the conflict, with the governor of the Irkutsk region in Siberia announcing daily fuel purchase limits for vehicles at state-run gas stations. Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak indicated that fuel export agreements are being reviewed to prioritize domestic needs.
In separate incidents on Sunday, a Russian aerial bomb killed two people and injured 16 in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region. In Russia's Belgorod region, a Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and injured another. Russia's Defense Ministry reported downing 213 Ukrainian drones overnight, while Ukraine's air force stated they intercepted 125 of 142 Russian drones and seven out of eight missiles.