Putin acknowledges economic toll of Ukrainian strikes as Crimea faces fuel crisis
Russian President Vladimir Putin has conceded that a sustained campaign of Ukrainian attacks on domestic infrastructure is inflicting damage on the Russian economy and society, even as he dismissed the possibility of social division or a halt to the invasion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on Friday that a surge in Ukrainian strikes targeting Russian infrastructure is causing tangible damage to the nation’s economy and social stability. Speaking to state-owned TASS news agency, Putin confirmed that attacks on refineries, depots, and pipelines are exacting a growing toll, although he maintained that the economy would recover quickly and that the strikes would not fracture Russian society or halt the ongoing invasion.
The admission follows weeks of intensifying Ukrainian operations, including a Kyiv-claimed strike on a key oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk the previous night. Ukraine has increasingly targeted facilities deep within Russia that are vital to its oil and gas export revenue, as well as fuel supplies in Russian-occupied Crimea. These disruptions have triggered the worst fuel crisis on the Black Sea Peninsula since its annexation by Russia in 2014.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the severity of the shortages in Crimea earlier this week, stating that measures were being taken to address the situation. The Institute for the Study of War noted a strategic synergy in Ukraine’s approach, with long-range attacks reducing Russia’s production capacity while mid-range strikes disrupt the transport of gasoline to occupied regions.
Despite the disruptions, Putin insisted the strikes were intended to sow confusion but would fail in their objective to cause significant economic harm. He promised that Russia’s military would escalate attacks on the enemy’s infrastructure to discourage further strikes on civilian facilities. The Russian leader also called for improved air defences, marking his second such request this month.
Ukraine characterised the operations as retaliation for daily Russian attacks on its cities. Meanwhile, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskii reported that Ukrainian forces reclaimed more territory in May than they lost, reversing a trend of monthly Russian net gains. Putin also rejected the prospect of face-to-face talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to end the war.
