According to The Washington Post and the Russian newspaper "Business Daily," Ukraine's recent new strategy has focused on attacking Russia's oil refineries, causing nearly 40% of refining capacity to be shut down, severely impacting the Russian economy.

Russian oil refineries have been heavily attacked by Ukraine recently, suffering severe losses

According to data from the Russian energy market analysis institution (Seala), due to damage caused by Ukrainian drones that are difficult to repair, nearly 40% of Russia's refining capacity is idle. Analyst Nikitin from the Russian energy market analysis institution clearly stated that the Ukrainian drones hit very accurately, forcing many oil refineries to shut down after attacks. Additionally, due to Western sanctions, oil refineries that have been attacked generally find it difficult to repair and are forced to remain shut indefinitely!

The "Business Daily" reported that the Russian fuel market is facing a monthly shortage of about 20% in gasoline demand, which is equivalent to a shortage of 40 million tons in monthly demand of about 200 million tons. Due to a 20% decline in the country's gasoline production, approximately one to two out of every 50 gas stations in Russia have already stopped selling gasoline. In Crimea, drivers are even limited to purchasing only 5 gallons (about 19 liters) of gasoline at a time.

The Washington Post pointed out that the current situation is quite ironic. As an energy exporting country, Russia, under continuous attacks by Ukraine, now rarely needs to import gasoline and other refined petroleum products. Since July, Moscow has imported 36% more gasoline from its ally Belarus compared to the same period last year. The import volume alone in September increased by 168% compared to previous months, but it is still far from sufficient to fill the gap. Russian Energy Minister Novak has proposed further increasing gasoline purchases from Belarus and abolishing import tariffs on gasoline from China, South Korea, and Singapore.

Novak also publicly stated that the Ministry of Energy is considering using various chemical elements and additives to increase supply. Media speculate that this may include ethanol, as well as toxic substances such as monomethyl aniline, which was banned over 10 years ago.

After the attack by Ukraine, it is very difficult to repair Russian oil refineries

In addition, The Washington Post further disclosed that the Russian government has extended the ban on exports of gasoline and diesel until the end of the year. At least 10 regions are currently affected by supply chain disruptions, with Crimea being particularly severe. The local government first limited each person to purchasing 8 gallons (about 30.3 liters) in late September, and then reduced it to 5 gallons (about 19 liters) on October 1st.

Russian economist Syryaev warned: "This will lead to social tensions that are difficult to control. You can shout through television that we will definitely win, or play images of well-stocked supermarkets on television to temporarily reassure the public. But gasoline is different; when you can't find gas at five gas stations, your car will just stop."

Even worse, Ukraine has fully realized that energy facilities are a key target for Russia. Therefore, Zelensky stated that they plan to expand the mass production of long-range drones to continuously strike Russia's energy infrastructure. He bluntly said, "The most effective sanction right now is to set Russian oil refineries and storage facilities on fire. We have significantly limited Russia's oil industry, which directly limits their war capability."

Additionally, Trump is preparing to intensify assistance to Ukraine. According to a exclusive report by The Wall Street Journal, Trump has signed an order authorizing the Pentagon and intelligence agencies to provide precise intelligence for Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike energy infrastructure deep inside Russia. It is reported that this is the first time the Trump administration has assisted Ukraine in using long-range missiles to strike energy targets deep within Russian territory.

Trump ordered the US military to assist Ukraine in "attacking oil"

Previously, American intelligence agencies mainly assisted Kyiv in conducting drone and short-range missile attacks on Russia. However, this intelligence sharing upgrade means that Ukraine will be able to more accurately strike oil refineries far from its border. Its core objective is to deeply strike Russian energy facilities, depriving Russia of the financial revenue needed for frontline operations.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7557548520664875571/

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