Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure have created a “certain shortage” of fuel in Russia, though he insisted the situation was “not critical,” in a rare public acknowledgment of strain on the country’s supply network.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukrainian strikes on refineries and other energy facilities have created noticeable disruptions in Russia’s fuel system, describing the situation as a “certain shortage” but “not critical.”
“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… Right now we’re observing a certain shortage, but it’s not critical.”
Putin made the remarks to Russian state television after a meeting focused on fuel supply and distribution. He also spoke publicly on Sunday to members of the ruling United Russia party, according to reporting that cited his televised comments.
The statements followed continued Ukrainian long-range drone strikes targeting Russian oil facilities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 28, 2026, that Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” had struck two oil refineries in Russia’s Krasnodar and Yaroslavl regions. Reuters also reported that a fire broke out at the refinery in Slavyansk-na-Kubani in the Krasnodar region after the overnight attack.
Putin said shoring up air defenses and stabilizing fuel supplies — including deliveries to Russian-occupied Crimea — were among the priorities for Russian authorities.
He also rejected what he described as a Ukrainian proposal for mutual limits on long-range strikes, saying Russia’s retaliatory attacks were more “destructive,” according to Reuters reporting cited by outlets covering his comments.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has argued that continued pressure on Russia would leave Moscow with no choice but to pursue a diplomatic end to the war, though the specific wording of his remarks varies by outlet.
Reports of fuel shortages and rationing have surfaced in parts of Russia in recent weeks, including coverage by The Moscow Times, which described restrictions at some gas stations and noted Moscow’s efforts to curb exports to protect domestic supplies. The scale and geographic spread of shortages, however, is difficult to independently verify in real time and has been reported with varying levels of specificity across outlets.
