STORY
Vladimir Putin has acknowledged fuel shortages in Russia after Ukrainian drone attacks continued to strike oil refineries and energy infrastructure across the country.
The Russian President admitted that there were still queues at petrol stations and that drivers could not always obtain the grade of fuel they needed. His comments marked a rare public acceptance that Ukraine’s long-range campaign against Russian energy targets is having a direct impact inside Russia.
Putin told officials that Russia had begun using previously accumulated fuel reserves to support the domestic market. He said petrol reserves stood at around 1.7 million tonnes and insisted that the situation was being managed, but his remarks confirmed that the Kremlin is now having to respond openly to supply problems caused in part by Ukrainian attacks.