Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared his readiness for peace negotiations with Ukraine, following a series of devastating Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure that have triggered a growing fuel shortage crisis.
Speaking on Tuesday, Putin accused Ukraine of attempting to 'destabilise society' by targeting oil refineries, but reiterated Russia's openness to talks based on the Istanbul agreements previously initiated by the Ukrainian delegation. 'Russia, however, as has been stated repeatedly, is ready for peace negotiations with Ukraine. It is ready to proceed on the basis of the agreements reached back in Istanbul, agreements which, I would remind you, were initiated at the time by the Ukrainian delegation,' Putin said. 'That means they were satisfied with them. And I see no grounds for us to depart from those agreements.'
Fuel Shortages Spread Across Russia
Restrictions on fuel sales have been implemented in multiple Russian regions amid soaring prices and long queues at filling stations. On Wednesday, the Interfax news agency reported that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak had ordered fuel deliveries to be prioritised to regions where logistics depend on seasonal factors, citing the Russian government.
The crisis follows a major Ukrainian drone assault on a Moscow oil refinery last week, marking one of the biggest such attacks of the war. The refinery, hit for the second time in days, is expected to remain offline for at least six months after suffering significant damage, according to Reuters news agency sources.
Ukraine Intensifies Aerial Campaign
Overnight, the Ukrainian military announced it had struck a natural gas processing plant and two key satellite communications facilities in its latest nighttime attacks on Russian territory. Ukraine's aerial campaign targeting energy facilities and military industries has intensified as Kyiv develops longer-range weapons to counter Russia's full-scale invasion.
Putin characterised the strikes as an attempt to 'create a sense of uncertainty about the actions of the Russian armed forces,' adding: 'Strikes against civilian infrastructure - what are they aimed at? To destabilise society, amid such a massive onslaught, when the entire West is working for them and these drones are coming in huge numbers.'
Background of the Conflict
Russia has regularly targeted Ukraine's civilian infrastructure throughout the war, notably its energy system during the previous winter. The latest developments come as both sides continue to exchange long-range strikes, with Ukraine increasingly using domestically produced drones to hit deep inside Russian territory.
