Queues at petrol stations, fuel rationing in 56 regions, and a ban on civilian drivers filling their tanks in occupied Crimea – the impact of Ukraine’s missile and drone strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure has been visible for months. But over the weekend, President Vladimir Putin did something unusual: he admitted it publicly.
In a meeting with senior officials and oil executives, Putin acknowledged the crisis with unusual frankness. “You’re well aware that problems persist for both motorists and businesses,” he told them. “Unfortunately, there are still queues at petrol stations, and finding the right grade of petrol isn’t always easy.” He also warned that the agricultural harvest depended on fuel deliveries being met.
“Putin admits Russia faces fuel shortages after Ukrainian drone strikes cripple refineries, queues and rationing widespread.”
The admission came hours after Ukraine struck another oil refinery in the southern Krasnodar region, part of a sustained campaign using cutting-edge long-range drones. Analysts estimate that more than a fifth of Russia’s total refining capacity may have been knocked offline. The International Energy Agency reported last week that Russian crude oil production dropped around 5% year-on-year in May due to the strikes. “This level of disruption is unprecedented in the history of the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” the IEA said in its June report.
Speaking to Russian state television, Putin went further. He described the situation as “a certain shortage” but insisted it was “not critical”. In Crimea, he admitted only “a few days’ supply” of fuel remained, though he expressed confidence more would arrive soon. The peninsula, annexed in 2014 and used as a launchpad for the full-scale invasion in 2022, now faces electricity and water cuts alongside the fuel crisis. Several regions have declared states of emergency.
Now Russia, the world’s second-largest crude oil exporter, is taking the extraordinary step of seeking to import gasoline. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Tuesday that “discussions are actively being held” with other countries, though he declined to name them. National gasoline reserves have fallen to 1.7 million metric tons – around 4% lower than a year ago. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak described imports as a key tool for stabilising the market, and lawmakers have approved tax changes to subsidise foreign purchases.
Putin blamed the shortages on Western sanctions, saying Russia faces “unprecedented pressure from Western elites”. But he also acknowledged Ukraine’s aim, arguing it was trying to divide Russian society and weaken support for the war. “We won’t give them that chance,” he said. Keir Giles, associate fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House, said Putin “is gradually being forced to publicly admit more and more about the reality of the war. All of this means he may eventually accept what has been obvious for some time: that Russia has more to gain from freezing the conflict than from continuing to fight.”