Putin Demands That the Impact of Strikes on Russia Be Minimized
Russia has publicly acknowledged that Ukrainian strikes on infrastructure are already having a tangible impact on critical facilities and the economy, so the authorities have tasked law enforcement agencies and the government with minimizing the damage as much as possible. Vladimir Putin has stated the need to “reduce to zero” the consequences of the attacks and to step up countermeasures against them.
This refers to a series of strikes on targets within Russian territory, including energy and logistics infrastructure, which, according to the military and media reports, are already causing factory shutdowns and fuel supply disruptions.
During a meeting with the government, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that security agencies must not only respond to Ukrainian strikes but also effectively minimize their consequences to zero. In his remarks, he called on the Ministry of Defense and other agencies to act more systematically to reduce the impact of the attacks on the country’s infrastructure and economy. “I ask, of course, first and foremost, that the task of countering these threats fall to the Ministry of Defense and other security agencies; but at the same time, the Russian government must also take the necessary additional measures to minimize—and reduce to zero—the consequences of such actions,” Putin stated.
He also repeated the Russian propaganda narrative about an alleged “deterioration” of the situation for Ukraine on the front lines and accused Kyiv of striking civilian infrastructure and energy facilities. According to him, this is allegedly being done to create problems with energy supplies and to influence internal processes in Russia.
Against the backdrop of these statements, Russian official and unofficial sources acknowledge that strikes on Russian territory are increasingly targeting facilities in the fuel and energy sector and logistics. According to reports from the Ukrainian military, oil depots, gas distribution stations, components of the air defense system, and other critical infrastructure are being targeted, which directly affects regional operations and fuel supplies.
Separately, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Moscow Oil Refinery had been hit; according to their data, the refinery was forced to completely halt oil processing after its storage tanks and processing facilities were damaged. According to experts, such strikes are putting additional pressure on the Russian economy, particularly due to fuel losses, disrupted contracts, and rising costs for infrastructure restoration.
As a result, the Kremlin is publicly acknowledging the need to respond to a new reality in which military and infrastructure facilities within Russia are increasingly becoming targets of attacks and require additional protective measures. This is reported by Russian media.
The fuel crisis in Russia is intensifying: gasoline is running out at gas stations and lines are growing longer.
Russia has allowed the use of lower-quality gasoline due to the fuel crisis.
