A high-ranking NATO official said that Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory have significantly impacted Russia’s economy, particularly its oil refining capabilities.
According to European Pravda, the official said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington that Ukraine’s use of various weapon types has allowed it to reach deep into Russian territory, affecting oil refining and energy exports.
The impact has been substantial enough to prompt Russia to implement internal restrictions on gasoline exports and other limitations. According to the official, the volume of Russian oil refining has decreased by about 17%.
“I think we will continue to observe this as Ukraine uses different types of weapons, and this will have a further impact on the Russian economy,” he said.
In May, US officials claimed that Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure early this year had disabled 14% of Russia’s oil refining capacity and led to increased domestic fuel prices.
The NATO official’s statement suggests an expectation that these strikes will continue, potentially causing further economic disruption for Russia. This comes despite earlier media reports in March suggesting that the United States had allegedly urged Kyiv to cease attacks on Russian refineries and other energy infrastructure.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, said that she “has not received official messages” from Washington prohibiting Kyiv from striking oil refineries in Russia with its own weapons.
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