Putin made the unusual move to acknowledge fuel shortages caused by strikes in Ukraine

In Russia, the impact of Ukraine’s missile and drone strikes on energy infrastructure from Moscow to the Black Sea and beyond has long been apparent.

Lines at gas stations. The fuel ratio has increased. Refining has hit. Drivers in Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula have been banned from filling their tanks to give priority to military vehicles.

But such a situation is difficult now which has been clearly acknowledged by President Vladimir Putin for the first time.

Over the weekend, the Russian president discussed the problem with senior officials and oil officials. And in public speaking, he was outspoken.

“We know very well that problems continue for motorists and businesses,” he said at the meeting. “Unfortunately, there are still lines at gas stations, and finding the right level of fuel is not always easy.”

He also mentioned the difficulties facing the agricultural industry and said that the yield “depends” on the fuel supply system that is being met.

According to the Russian independent agency Mediazona, 56 regions of Russia currently implement fuel restrictions.

Later, in an interview with Russian state television, Putin was even more open.

He admitted that the invasion of Ukraine “obviously creates problems”: “Right now we see some shortages,” he said, “but not significant.”

He promised to increase the production of air defenses to protect Russia’s energy infrastructure, and to speed up the repair of the refineries that Ukraine was able to hit.

In Crimea, Putin admitted, “a few days” remain – but said he was “confident” that more fuel would be delivered soon.

It is unusual for Putin to be so open about the impact of the strikes in Ukraine and the consequences for the Russian people.

But given the extent of the fuel shortage and the resulting public awareness, he was probably left with no choice but to admit the truth while still insisting – as usual – that the Russian war effort was advancing.

This acknowledgment of the perceived difficulties in Crimea is particularly important, given the symbolic importance of the peninsula for many Russians – and the Kremlin leader in particular.

Since annexing Crimea in 2014, Moscow has turned it into a military base and strategic point for control of the Black Sea, and is using it to launch its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In a televised interview, Putin again gave an indication of why he is so open about the problem: He said that Ukraine is trying to divide Russian society, weaken its support for the war and increase support for negotiations.

“We will not give them that chance,” he said, adding that Ukraine’s prolonged strikes “have no impact on the frontline situation”.

Authorities in Kyiv challenge this assessment, saying the long-range offensive in Ukraine is designed not only to bring the war home to ordinary Russians but also to force its military commanders to divert resources away from the front line.

In recent months, Ukraine has been increasingly confident that the tide of war is in its favor, launching deep strikes in St Petersburg and Moscow, escalating attacks in Crimea, and openly seeking to inflict more casualties on the front.

But the Kremlin said on Monday that Russia’s plans remained the same – to force Ukrainian troops to leave four southeastern regions Moscow says is coming, which Kyiv rejects. “Our position is well known,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

In his interview, Putin said that Ukraine wanted to reduce tensions and start negotiations – although he dismissed this as an attempt by Kyiv to buy time to regroup and regroup.

“It is clear why this proposal was made, because our counter-attacks deep in the territory of Ukraine are very powerful, have a great impact and, frankly, are very damaging,” Putin said.

Kyiv’s strikes in Russia, he insisted, were aimed at “saving” the Ukrainian army, which Putin insisted had “ended” in disaster.

“But saving the Kyiv regime is not part of our plans.”