Putin admits Russia was unprepared for Ukraine’s refinery strike campaign
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Dictator Vladimir Putin spoke at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok (Photo: Aleksandr Zholobov/Roscongress/Handout via REUTERS)
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Moscow was not prepared for the scale of Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries, which have sharply reduced fuel production and contributed to what The Moscow Times described as Russia’s worst fuel crisis in its modern history.
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin said the Kremlin had assumed refineries would remain untouched because it considered them civilian facilities.
“We proceeded from the assumption that these were purely civilian facilities and that they could not be targets of any attacks, even in an armed conflict,” Putin said. “But in that sense, we were mistaken. Unfortunately, our opponent thinks differently.”
Asked directly whether Russians should get used to fuel shortages, Putin indicated that the crisis could persist.
“We must be prepared for anything,” he said. “Only our preparedness will make it clear to everyone who wants to harm us that it is better not to do so.”
Putin also said Russia was “forced to respond in kind” to attacks on refineries and described Moscow’s response as “significant.”
Russian oil companies are independently strengthening defenses around their facilities and gradually restoring damaged plants, Putin said. He claimed that the remaining 10% of affected capacity was expected to be restored soon.
Putin said the only effective solution while the war continues is to increase air defense capabilities.
Ukraine carried out at least 21 attacks on Russian oil refineries in August, a record number for a single month, Bloomberg previously reported.
Russia turns to fuel imports
Amid the fuel crisis, Russia has begun importing gasoline from India, Kazakhstan and Morocco.
The shortages have also weighed on Putin’s domestic approval rating, which fell by a record 5 percentage points to 66%, its lowest level in nearly four years, since fall 2022.
Putin’s claim that Russian refineries should have remained untouched because they are supposedly “purely civilian facilities” contrasts with Russia’s own daily attacks on civilian infrastructure across Ukraine.
Kyiv came under repeated drone threats overnight and on the morning of Sept. 3, with several air-raid alerts declared in the capital. New warehouse damage was also reported in Kyiv Oblast, where fires broke out in the Boryspil and Obukhiv districts.
The same day, a Russian Banderol loitering munition destroyed a Nova Post depot and branch in Dnipro, killing one employee and wounding five others.
Russian forces also carried out a missile strike on the settlement of Pechenihy in Kharkiv Oblast, injuring 10 people, including children.
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