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Russians Panic as Putin Is Dealt Deadly Fireball Humiliation
The Daily Beast • • world
Key Points:
- Ukraine conducted an overnight drone strike on the Lukoil-owned Volgograd Oil Refinery, causing a fire and killing four employees, marking a significant blow to Russia's fuel infrastructure amid a deepening fuel crisis.
- The Volgograd refinery is one of Russia's largest, processing about 5% of the country's total crude oil, and the attack reduces Russia's crude processing capacity by roughly 30% since late October.
- The strike occurred shortly after U.S. envoys arrived in Moscow for talks with President Putin and follows reports of disruptions to Ukraine's military satellite network, Starshield, which hampers their defense against Russian drone attacks.
- Russia faces rising fuel prices, rationing, and long queues at gas stations due to Ukraine's sustained attacks on its energy infrastructure, which is crucial for financing Moscow's war effort.
- President Putin has threatened retaliation for these attacks, emphasizing Russia's intent to respond to Ukraine's strikes on its energy facilities.
