Zelenskyy: Putin is unaware of how close Russia is to crisis
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
Ukraine struck 15 Russian oil refineries between January and May this year. At the same time, the true extent of the damage caused by these strikes is being concealed from Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The head of state spoke about a report by Oleh Luhovskyi of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service regarding the economic condition of Russia.
"Russia will run into the wall of a real crisis because of its own foolishness. We have long said that the Russians must end this war. Ukraine has proposed all formats for genuine negotiations, all formats for security guarantees, and a format for a dignified peace," he said.
Zelenskyy stressed that the only one from whom a decision is required is Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian President added that the Kremlin leader "does not even receive all the statistics about what is really happening."
Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine's plan of long-range strikes is being implemented step by step.
"There are already Russian restrictions on exports of aviation fuel and gasoline from their territory, and they are considering a ban on diesel exports as well. For a country that was not long ago called a gas station, losing even this is a significant development and a major loss," he noted.
Zelenskyy emphasized that, as of May, nearly 40% of Russia's primary oil refining capacity had been taken offline.
Long-range strikes on Russia
On the night of May 30, Russian regions once again came under a drone attack. In Taganrog, in Russia's Rostov region, a tanker was hit, while an oil depot in Armavir, Krasnodar region, was attacked.
On the night of May 31, Ukraine's Defense Forces struck the Saratov Oil Refinery. The facility is part of Rosneft's structure and is involved in supplying fuel to Russian forces. A large fire broke out at the refinery following the attack.
On May 29, a missile alert was declared for the first time since the start of the war in Russia's Yamal region and several neighboring regions located more than 2,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
