Ukraine's military intelligence agency says its strikes on Russian oil refineries have cut jet fuel output so sharply that Russia is now importing aviation fuel for its warplanes. Moscow has banned its own aviation fuel exports and turned to shadow-fleet tankers from South Korea and Egypt, while Kyiv presses a widening campaign against Russian energy infrastructure.
Ukraine's GUR, the country's military intelligence agency, said on Saturday that its strikes on Russia's oil-refining network have cut jet fuel production enough to force Russia to start importing aviation fuel for its warplanes. The agency said Russia's own increasing air attacks on Ukraine, combined with the need to sustain civilian air transport, have left it short of domestic fuel.
Russia bans its own aviation fuel exports
To meet military and civilian aviation needs, Russia has officially introduced a temporary ban on exporting its own aviation fuel and is now seeking foreign supplies, the GUR said. The imported Jet A-1 fuel is compatible with a range of Russian military aircraft used to launch missiles and bombs, as well as jet-powered drones.
The GUR added that Russia is now fueling its Il-76MD-90A military transport planes with fuel outside manufacturer recommendations.
Shadow-fleet tankers bring fuel from Asia and Africa
The GUR said Russia has purchased at least 70,000 tonnes of aviation fuel from South Korea and Egypt, delivered on three tankers from the shadow fleet Russia uses to evade Western sanctions. According to Ukraine's GUR, Russian efforts to circumvent sanctions "will inevitably receive an appropriate response."
Kyiv widens its campaign against Russian energy sites
Ukraine has stepped up long-range strikes on Russian oil and gas facilities this year, hitting refineries, processing plants and terminals hundreds of miles inside Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in June that nearly 40% of Russia's primary oil refining capacity was offline as of the previous month, and said this month the campaign remains a priority.
Ukraine has relied mainly on homemade cruise missiles and drones, some with ranges exceeding 1,800 miles, after Western restrictions limited the use of foreign-supplied long-range weapons inside Russia. Former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov said this month that Ukraine could be capable of hitting Russian targets with domestically made ballistic missiles within the next three to six months.
Meanwhile, Russia is intensifying its own strikes on Ukraine. Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russia launched almost 2,000 attack drones, more than 1,600 glide bombs and 31 missiles at Ukraine in the past week, including North Korean ballistic missiles. The fuel shortages have yet to push Moscow toward negotiations, but Kyiv hopes they will raise the cost of the war and constrain some Russian attacks.
Source: Business Insider
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