Putin acknowledges Ukrainian strikes are causing fuel shortages in Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of ministers that recent Ukrainian long-range strikes on "critical infrastructure" have created fuel supply problems for motorists, businesses and agricultural producers, and that the government is working to address the issue. The comments marked a rare admission that Ukraine’s drone and missile attacks on Russian oil refineries are affecting domestic fuel availability.

According to reports, the strikes hit refineries in the Krasnodar and Yaroslavl regions, and shortages have been reported in areas including Crimea, southern Russia, Siberia and the Moscow region. A draft government document seen by a Russian newspaper indicated that officials are considering temporary measures such as allowing the production and import of lower-quality fuel.

Opposition figure Maxim Katz said he has received numerous reports of long queues and difficulty obtaining fuel, describing situations where drivers wait for hours and receive only small amounts before returning to the line. He attributed the shortages directly to the effectiveness of Ukrainian attacks on refineries.

Video footage obtained by a news agency showed drivers arguing and, in some cases, confronting each other at filling stations in several Russian cities. One driver in Siberia reported waiting 13 hours for a half-tank of fuel.

The fuel disruptions come amid broader economic pressures linked to the war, including higher borrowing costs and a budget increasingly focused on military spending.