Putin admits oil deficit and adjusted fuel plans amid Ukrainian strikes on refineries

Key Points:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged a "certain deficit" of fuel in Russia due to ongoing Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, including a major oil refinery in southern Russia that processes nearly 4 million tons of crude annually.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed another refinery in the Yaroslavl region was also targeted, though Russian authorities have not confirmed this; Putin vowed to strengthen oil facility protection, increase fuel output, and import more fuel to address shortages.
• Putin described Ukrainian attacks on refineries as attempts to divide Russian society and disrupt military advances, asserting that such strikes have no impact on the front lines, and revealed that Ukraine proposed a mutual halt on deep strikes, which Russia rejected.
• Kyiv has intensified long-range attacks on Russian military and energy targets to undermine Moscow’s war funding, causing fuel shortages and rationing across Russia, which Western analysts say is hindering Russia’s battlefield efforts and pressuring the Kremlin toward negotiations.
• Putin pledged to prioritize resolving fuel shortages in Crimea by increasing deliveries and accelerating repairs, while committing to ramp up air defense production to counter Ukrainian attacks on Russian infrastructure.