Putin Confirms Ukraine's Refinery Strikes Are Draining Russian Fuel Reserves

Putin publicly blamed Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries and supply lines for Russia's fuel shortages—a candid admission that Kyiv's campaign is working. He told a newly formed government task force that gasoline reserves stand at 1.7 million metric tons, with July output expected to climb. The task force itself signals Moscow now sees this as a structural crisis, not a temporary hiccup.