Queues at petrol stations stretched for miles. Fuel rationing is now widespread. Drivers in the illegally annexed peninsula of Crimea have been banned from filling their tanks so that priority can be given to military vehicles. For months, the impact of Ukraine’s missile and drone strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure has been an open secret — from Moscow to the Black Sea and beyond. But this weekend, Vladimir Putin did something he rarely does: he acknowledged the crisis in public.
Speaking to senior officials and oil executives, the Russian president was unusually frank. “You’re well aware that problems persist for both motorists and businesses,” he told the meeting. “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” the fuel supply schedule being met — a tacit admission that the shortages threaten Russia’s food production.
“Putin admits Ukrainian strikes cause fuel shortages, with queues and rationing across 56 regions and Crimea near empty.”
According to the independent Russian outlet Mediazona, 56 Russian regions are currently enforcing fuel restrictions. In Crimea, which Moscow has used as a military base and launchpad for its 2022 full-scale invasion, the situation is particularly dire. Putin admitted that only “a few days’ supply” of fuel remained on the peninsula, though he said he was “confident” more would be brought in soon.
Later, in an interview with Russian state television, Putin went further. He acknowledged that Ukraine’s strikes were “obviously creating problems” and conceded: “We are currently seeing a certain shortage … but it’s not critical.” He promised to increase production of air defences to protect Russian energy infrastructure and to speed up repairs to refineries that Ukraine managed to hit.
The admission is significant for a leader who has routinely denied setbacks. The scale of the shortages — and the resulting public anger — appear to have left him with little choice but to face reality while still insisting Russia’s war effort was making progress. Several regions have declared states of emergency, and in Crimea electricity and water supplies are also being cut off, making petrol almost impossible to find.
Putin also hinted at why he chose to be so open: Ukraine, he argued, was trying to divide Russian society, weaken support for the war and increase backing for negotiations. “We won’t give them that chance,” he said. His comments came as a US State Department official last week acknowledged that Ukraine was “winning the war for now.”