Vladimir Putin has put a number on it. Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries have cost the country roughly 1% of its gross domestic product, the Russian president told the Valdai Club forum of international foreign policy experts. “They started attacking oil refineries and openly declared the goal of damaging our economy. Did they achieve their goal? Partially,” he said.
It was a rare admission. Russian officials have not released figures on damage to the country’s oil infrastructure.
Kyiv’s claim
Ukraine’s defence ministry has claimed that long-range strikes have taken out more than half of Russia’s oil refining capacity, which it says hampers Moscow’s ability to supply its forces. Ukrainian forces have hit refineries from Moscow to Siberia, and Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara called the damage “a significant blow to the enemy’s economy, to its ability to carry out aggression and supply its troop groupings.” He put the figure at 51 per cent of struck refining capacity. “Our deep strikes continue to bring the war to Russian territory,” he said.
The figure comes from Kyiv, and Moscow has not confirmed it. Earlier this year the attacks set off a widespread fuel crisis in Russia that forced authorities to restrict petrol sales.
Trump blames the refinery strikes
The effects have reached the debate over prices in the United States. Donald Trump has blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries for high petrol prices and said the Iran war is no longer the cause. “What’s driving up Gasoline is no longer the strait of Hormuz, because Record Numbers of Barrels are coming out now on an almost daily basis, but the word, ‘Refineries,’ where Russia’s are being blown up by Ukraine,” the US president posted on Truth Social.
