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Ukraine's Long‑Range Drones Hit Russian Refineries as Putin Acknowledges Fuel Shortages

Putin's admission signals rising domestic strain that may force Moscow to prioritize fuel distribution and speed up air‑defence production.

Overview

  • Since late May, Ukraine has sharply increased coordinated mid‑ and long‑range drone strikes aimed at Russian energy, military and communications sites to cut Moscow's war resources.
  • Sunday's raids caused a blaze at the Slavyansk‑na‑Kubani refinery in Krasnodar after falling drone debris struck the facility and nearby homes, killing one person and wounding another, regional officials said.
  • President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Yaroslavl refinery was also hit but Russian authorities had not confirmed that strike, highlighting gaps in independent verification.
  • Mr. Putin publicly acknowledged a "certain shortage" of fuel, ordered a fuel task force, pledged faster repairs and imports, and said Russia would boost air‑defence production while weighing export limits on diesel.
  • Both sides reported large overnight drone exchanges with widely different interception tallies, a dynamic that is straining air‑defence systems, disrupting fuel supplies across regions and creating longer lines, rationing and wider civilian hardship.