Putin Admits to Fuel Shortage for the First Time: "We Are Going Through a Harsh Period"

"Using Reserve Oil, but Only a 4% Decrease"
Russian Gasoline Prices Reach 20-Year High

TASS Yonhap News Agency

Russian President Vladimir Putin has, for the first time in a public speech, acknowledged Russia's energy crisis. This move is seen as an attempt to address public concerns, as gasoline prices are soaring due to Ukrainian airstrikes on energy facilities.

On June 28 (local time), President Putin stated during a speech at the national congress of the ruling United Russia party, "We are going through a harsh period. The energy sector infrastructure has been damaged due to Ukrainian terrorist attacks." He added, "We are using our gasoline reserves, but the reserves are at a similar level to last year, with only about a 4% decrease."

President Putin continued, "Unfortunately, recently, there have been long lines at gas stations, and it has become difficult to find the desired grade of gasoline." He stressed, "A temporary ban on the export of gasoline and jet fuel is already in place for the sake of consumers within Russia." This is the first time President Putin has publicly acknowledged Russia's energy crisis resulting from Ukrainian airstrikes.

In fact, gasoline prices in Russia are surging. According to TASS Yonhap News Agency, during the second week of June (15th–19th), the average price of gasoline in Russia rose by more than 3% from the previous week, reaching 71.20 rubles (about 1,387 won) per liter. This price is the highest recorded in 20 years.

The reason for the sharp rise in gasoline prices is that a series of Russian refineries have been damaged by Ukrainian drone strikes. According to CNN, since the beginning of this month, Ukraine's concentrated drone attacks have caused major refineries across Russia—including the country's largest, the Kapotnya refinery near Moscow—to suffer damage and suspend operations. As a result, Russia's gasoline production is estimated to have dropped by about 25–30% compared to previous years.

President Putin emphasized not only strengthening defenses against Ukraine's offensives, but also accelerating negotiations with Ukraine through future U.S. mediation. In an interview with Pavel Zarubin of the Russian state broadcaster Rossiya 1 following his speech, President Putin stated, "Once the active phase of the Iran issue is over and the situation settles, we expect representatives of the U.S. administration, with whom we have already met several times in Moscow, to visit again." He added, "We are ready to continue negotiations and discuss all the details."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.