MOSCOW, July 3 — President Vladimir Putin has downplayed the impact of Ukraine’s widening attacks on Russian oil refineries, even as fuel shortages deepen across Russia and ceasefire proposals remain off the table. He has described the setback for one of the world’s leading oil producers as “not critical”, insisted the war will continue until Russia’s goals are met, and rejected proposals that he says would benefit Ukraine.
The latest exchange came as Russia launched an 11-hour overnight barrage on Kyiv into Thursday morning, killing at least 21 people in one of the deadliest attacks on the Ukrainian capital since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion. The renewed strikes came against the backdrop of mounting pressure on Russia’s energy sector and Putin’s public insistence that the attacks will not force Moscow into negotiations on terms set by its adversaries.
Since March, there have been more than 50 reported Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries and other energy facilities in Russia and occupied Crimea. Ukrainian leaders have said the strikes are meant to pressure Moscow to end the war. At the same time, the attacks have brought the war closer to daily life for many Russians, cutting across Putin’s long-standing narrative that the conflict does not directly affect ordinary people.
According to Chris Weafer, chief executive of consultancy Macro-Advisory, about one-third of Russia’s refining capacity has been knocked offline. He said the strikes have caused lasting damage that will be expensive to repair.
One of Moscow’s main refineries has been hit twice despite significant air defences around the capital. The second strike, on June 18, set the facility on fire and damaged key equipment that is reportedly expected to take until the end of the year to repair. Russian government statistics show retail petrol and diesel prices have risen since the start of the year, with some regions reporting fuel shortages.
Official data also indicates that Russia’s overall oil refining volumes have fallen sharply in recent months.
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