Ukraine found the solution to leave Russia without oil and increase anti-Putin tensions. “Like a mosquito. You can’t find it, you can’t kill it”

A wave of Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries deep in Russia has forced the Kremlin to defend its territory. These attacks also led to something previously unthinkable for Moscow – the world’s largest oil producer ran out of oil, causing local fuel prices to skyrocket.

Diesel prices for Russian consumers have risen by almost 10% in just one week, government data show, writes Pravda, citing Politico.

The cost of gasoline has also hit a six-month high, rising more than 20 percent since the start of the year as supply dwindles and more refineries are forced to shut production.

Two fuel storage facilities owned by Russian energy giant Rosneft, located about 500 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, were badly damaged by Ukrainian drones last Wednesday. More than a dozen refineries in nine Russian regions have been similarly hit this year, with officials in Kiev declaring the industry a legitimate military target.

Philip Ingram, a former British military intelligence officer, said that Ukrainian drone strikes are “like a mosquito – when you don’t find it, you can’t kill it, and it keeps coming back night after night. You’ll be exhausted, it’s a good way to take the pressure off the front lines.”

Ingram also believes that Kiev’s drone strikes “have an effect because they destroy oil infrastructure and other critical national infrastructure.”

He added that such a strategy would be the subject of study at officer training academies for decades to come.

Following the attacks, Moscow cut its fuel exports to near-historic lows, shipping just over 712,000 tonnes of diesel last week, down from over 844,000 in the same week in 2023.

For Moscow, this is both a political and a military issue. In addition to Russia seeing it as essential in the war, cheap fuel is a key part of Vladimir Putin’s policy to compensate the population for delayed wages and a weak ruble, a trend that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

Maria Shagina, an expert on the Russian economy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that Kiev has learned what Moscow’s technological vulnerability is, and Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries accelerate this vulnerability.

Ukraine: Russian oil refineries are legitimate targets

A Ukrainian deputy prime minister said on Friday that Russian oil refineries are legitimate targets for his forces. The statement comes after the US, a close ally of Ukraine, asked Kiev to stop attacking refineries with drones, reports Reuters.

“We understand the calls of the American partners, but at the same time we are fighting with the capabilities, resources and practices we have,” said Olga Stefanişyna, Deputy Prime Minister, at the Security Forum in Kyiv. She said that energy facilities are legitimate targets from a military point of view.

The Financial Times quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that Washington had asked Kiev to stop shelling refineries, warning of the risks of provoking retaliation and higher global oil prices.

The attacks are driving up oil prices, which have risen nearly 4 percent since March 12, when Ukraine struck a major Russian oil refinery.

Publisher: GM

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