Russian President Vladimir Putin has admitted that Ukraine’s sustained attacks on Russian energy infrastructure are affecting fuel supplies, acknowledging shortages in some areas as the war drags into another year.
In an interview published by the Kremlin on Sunday, Putin said repeated strikes on energy facilities and logistics networks had created “a certain shortage” of fuel but maintained that the situation was not severe.
“As for strikes against critical infrastructure in general, and energy infrastructure in particular, of course these attacks on our infrastructure facilities create problems, that’s obvious,” Putin said.
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“Right now we’re observing a certain shortage, but it’s not critical.”
The comments represent one of the strongest public acknowledgements from Moscow that Ukrainian attacks inside Russian territory are beginning to disrupt domestic supply chains.
Putin said the government’s immediate focus was to strengthen anti-aircraft defences and ensure stable fuel supplies, particularly to Crimea.
Authorities in Crimea declared an emergency situation on Friday following fuel shortages and power outages linked to attacks on logistics chains and oil facilities.
Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014, a move that remains internationally disputed.
Addressing members of the United Russia Party earlier in the day, Putin vowed that Moscow would respond to growing security challenges and continue protecting strategic infrastructure.
“We see the problems, we are aware of them and are responding to them,” he said.
Ukraine has intensified long-range drone operations against Russian refineries and energy installations, describing them as retaliation for Russia’s frequent strikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attacks were intended to reduce Russia’s ability to sustain its military campaign.
“The Slavyansk oil refinery in the Krasnodar region was hit — about 300 kilometres from the frontline. We also reached a refinery in the Yaroslavl region, approximately 700 kilometres from our border,” Zelensky wrote on X.
Officials in Russia’s Krasnodar region said a recent drone attack killed one person and sparked a refinery fire.
The latest incidents follow another major refinery blaze southeast of Moscow last week, which sent thick smoke across surrounding areas and highlighted increasing vulnerabilities within Russia’s energy sector.
Analysts believe Kyiv’s strategy is aimed at raising the economic and logistical costs of the war by targeting facilities essential to fuel production and military supply networks.
Putin’s latest remarks indicate that the impact of those strikes is becoming more difficult for Moscow to dismiss, even as the Kremlin insists that supplies remain under control.
