Russia bombs Ukrainian gas stations to get smoke for its TV. Ukraine’s military doesn’t even refuel there, Mykolaiv’s governor says

Russia has shifted tactics to target Ukrainian gas stations and civilian combustible objects. The change is aimed at producing TV footage for Russian domestic audiences, Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration Head Vitalii Kim said on Novyny.LIVE, per UNIAN.

Russia has designated a targeting zone and is hitting gas stations, building materials supermarkets, warehouses, and other civilian enterprises, Kim explained.

While Russia performs damage on Ukrainian civilian fuel retail for TV, Ukraine's strike campaign against Russian oil refining and pipeline infrastructure is producing measurable fuel crises across Russian regions.

150-kilometer zone and 2 July Mykolaiv gas station strike

Kim said Russia has focused on a 150-kilometer zone where it is hitting gas stations. The pattern extends beyond Mykolaiv Oblast, Kim added: it applies across the front line and inside Ukraine.

In his region, on 2 July, a Russian strike killed one person. Russian attacks on civilian gas stations have been documented in multiple oblasts in recent weeks. A Poltava Oblast gas station assault on 28-29 June left one injured. A Kherson Oblast gas station was among civilian objects damaged in a 12 May attack.

"They need smoke, so they can show it on Russian TV"

Kim's analytical framing aimed to show that Russia "is also burning Ukraine's logistics," and "here it is on fire, and here is the huge blow we are inflicting on Ukraine." 

"For this reason, Russia has allocated additional means for engagement and really has changed tactics, predominantly hitting civilian objects that have combustible material," Kim said.

Kim added that Ukrainian military logistics is not affected because Ukrainian forces do not refuel at commercial gas stations, as they use separate fuel channels. 

Inversion: Russia performs damage while its own fuel network fails

Russia's performance of damage on Ukrainian civilian fuel infrastructure coincides with genuine damage Ukraine is inflicting on Russian fuel infrastructure through its ongoing strike campaign against oil refining and pipeline systems.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) struck the Vtorovo fuel-pumping station in Russia's Vladimir Oblast on 24 May 2026, hitting a key node supplying gasoline and diesel to central Russia.

Also, Samara filling stations were selling AI-92 with 30-liter limits over the 28-29 June weekend, with AI-95 unavailable. A Pskov Oblast filling station displayed only one grade of AI-95 Ekto at 73.67 rubles ($0.95) per liter, with every other grade showing zero. Sevastopol filling stations issued 20-liter fuel allocations by QR code lottery.