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Putin admits Ukrainian strikes driving Russian fuel shortages

From The Guardian · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged a "certain shortage" of fuel due to Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
  • Putin stated that while the shortage exists, it is not critical, and the main task is to increase air defense and ensure fuel supplies, especially to Crimea.
  • Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian oil facilities, with President Zelenskyy calling them "operations that weaken Russia’s ability to wage this war."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that Ukraine's sustained strikes on Russian energy infrastructure are causing a “certain shortage” of fuel within the country. In an interview published Sunday, Putin admitted that these attacks create problems but characterized the shortage as "not critical."

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.

— Vladimir PutinPutin acknowledged that Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure were causing problems.

Putin stated that Russia's immediate priorities are to bolster its anti-aircraft defense capabilities and guarantee fuel supplies, particularly to the annexed Crimean peninsula. Authorities in Crimea had previously declared an "emergency situation" due to fuel shortages and power outages resulting from Ukrainian attacks on logistics chains and oil facilities.

Right now we’re observing a certain shortage, but it’s not critical.

— Vladimir PutinPutin described the fuel shortage as not critical despite acknowledging its existence.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has framed these strikes as "operations that weaken Russia’s ability to wage this war." He highlighted recent successful attacks on the Slavyansk oil refinery in Krasnodar, approximately 300 km from the front lines, and another refinery in the Yaroslavl region, about 700 km from Ukraine's border.

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.

— Vladimir PutinPutin vowed to ensure security and overcome challenges posed by Ukrainian attacks.

These acknowledgments come as Ukraine continues to escalate its retaliatory strikes deep within Russian territory. Putin, speaking to the United Russia party congress, vowed to ensure security and overcome challenges, including "terrorist attacks on our territory and infrastructure facilities," asserting that Russia would "undoubtedly overcome all the challenges facing us today."

We will undoubtedly overcome all the challenges facing us today, including terrorist attacks on our territory and infrastructure facilities.

— Vladimir PutinPutin expressed confidence in overcoming all challenges, including terrorist attacks.
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Originally published by The Guardian. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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