Putin admits fuel shortage is caused by Ukraine’s long-range campaign

Ukraine is continuing to strike deep into Russian territory, targeting oil and gas infrastructure in an effort to cripple the Russian economy and make it impossible for the Kremlin to shield the population from the effects of the war.

Over the weekend, Ukrainian forces launched a series of long-range strikes targeting critical energy facilities in Russia, disrupting important supplies.

According to reports from several news outlets, including the Kyiv Independent, the overnight strikes on June 28 hit the Slavyansk oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai and another major facility in Yaroslavl Oblast.

The Slavyansk plant sits about 300 kilometers from the front line and supplies fuel to Russian-occupied Crimea. The facility in Yaroslavl Oblast is approximately 700 kilometers from Ukraine’s border.

And now, the Russian leader is admitting that Ukraine is at least partly responsible for the current hardship facing the Russian population.

“That’s obvious”

On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that the country is facing fuel shortages following repeated Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries.

The admission came during an interview published by the Kremlin, citd by The Moscow Times. The Russian leader acknowledged that the disruption is causing real problems for his administration.

“As for strikes against critical infrastructure in general, and energy infrastructure in particular, of course, these attacks on our infrastructure facilities create problems,” Putin said. “That’s obvious.”

The president downplayed the situation even as authorities in annexed Crimea declared a state of emergency.

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

Moscow refinery allegedly hit by friendly fire

On June 19, following a Ukrainian strike on an oil refinery in Moscow, footage allegedly showing a Russian anti-aircraft missile hitting the refinery while attempting to shoot down Ukrainian drones began circulating online.

The footage shows what appears to be a Russian Pantsir anti-aircraft missile slamming directly into a petroleum storage tank. Then comes the blast.

A massive explosion sends the heavy lid of the tank flying high into the air while a distinct missile trail lingers in the sky.

In the video, the person filming points to the characteristic trail of a missile flying through the air. Looking more closely at the footage, a black dot appears near the storage tank just before the explosion.

The footage has not been independently verified.

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation