Ukraine’s drone and missile strikes are choking the life out of occupied Crimea — and Vladimir Putin just admitted his fuel crisis is spiraling.
Ukrainian forces have spent recent weeks hammering Russian refineries, arms factories, and supply routes with middle-range drones and missiles. The assault has turned the occupied Crimean peninsula into a pressure cooker.
Ukraine cut the mainland route that brings food and fuel into the tourist resort, sparking an exodus of civilians and miles-long traffic jams on the single bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland.
At a Kremlin meeting this week, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak briefed Putin on the damage. His assessment: the fuel market situation is “challenging but manageable.”
“We have adopted a total ban on the export of petroleum and aviation turbine fuel. We are also considering a total ban on the export of diesel fuel.”
Novak said all Russian oil refineries have maximized production capacity, shortened repair times, and postponed scheduled maintenance to keep fuel flowing.
The emergency measures reveal the scale of Ukraine’s success. Putin’s war machine is scrambling to keep Crimea — his prized 2014 conquest — from collapsing under the weight of Ukrainian strikes.
Social media is flooded with footage of Ukrainian drones hitting targets deep inside Russian territory. The strikes have forced Moscow into crisis mode, banning fuel exports just to keep its own supply lines alive.
Putin invaded Ukraine expecting a quick victory. Three years later, he’s rationing diesel and watching his occupied territories choke.
