On June 28, Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Russia is seeing “a certain shortage” of fuel but said it was “not critical.” He made the remarks in an interview with Pavel Zarubin, a correspondent for the state television channel Rossiya, that was published on the Kremlin’s website.
“As for strikes on critical infrastructure in general and energy infrastructure in particular, of course these strikes on our infrastructure facilities create problems. That is obvious. We are now seeing a certain shortage, but it is not critical,” Putin said before adding that Crimea’s fuel reserves are sufficient for only a few more days. “As for supplies of energy resources to Crimea, the monthly need — the minister reported this to me — is 70,000 metric tons. Crimea now has reserves for several days, but the needs will be met. We will increase these supplies both overland and by sea. I am confident this task will be solved.”
Putin then claimed that Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure are being carried out “to create self-doubt among us, doubt in our strength, and even better, to cause a split in Russian society and force Russia to suspend, at least for a short time, the advance of our troops along the line of contact and create conditions for the start of a negotiation process on terms favorable to themselves, that is, to our adversary… We will not give them that chance. This is all the more important because all these terrorist sorties do not affect the situation at the front in any way.”
