Ukraine has been intensifying its long-range strikes deep into Russian territory, with the scope of attacks growing increasingly extensive. These strikes have hit key Russian weapons production facilities, disrupted a larger proportion of refining capacity, and triggered fuel shortages across Russia. This week alone, Ukrainian drone swarms attacked oil facilities across multiple regions of Russia, the VZPP-S semiconductor components plant in Voronezh—Russia’s primary producer of ballistic missile components—as well as the Dubna satellite communications center near Moscow, and a chemical plant in Tula critical to Russia’s ammunition production. In Russian-occupied Crimea, Ukrainian attacks have forced rolling blackouts across the peninsula, and fuel sales have been suspended; local Russian authorities declared a state of emergency on Friday. Following a 25% drop in nationwide gasoline output last week, which led dozens of regions to impose fuel rationing, the Russian government convened an emergency meeting earlier this week to address the escalating fuel crisis. As tensions mount due to worsening conditions in Russia, coupled with a noticeable shift in Trump’s stance toward Russia, the Russian stock market has fallen by over 13% since early June. Analysts believe that despite worsening fuel shortages and a sharp decline in stock values, Putin is unlikely to yield to mounting pressure. Instead, he may seek to escalate Russia’s own bombing campaigns in response—a position that is heightening concerns among Russia’s elite.
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Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869215656987659/
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