Putin Acknowledges Ukrainian Strikes Damaging Russian Economy as Public Criticism Grows

Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that escalating Ukrainian drone strikes are causing economic damage, though he insists Russia is recovering quickly. The attacks, which target oil refineries deep inside Russia, have contributed to fuel shortages in Crimea. Amid the strikes, a new poll reveals growing public criticism of Putin's economic policies, with one-third of Russians holding a negative view of their impact.

Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure

• ▪Ukraine states its strikes are fair retaliation for the daily barrage of drones and missiles Russia sends toward Ukrainian cities
• ▪Ukraine has escalated its attacks deep into Russia, regularly hitting oil refineries, export hubs, and pipelines
• ▪A recent Ukrainian strike hit a major oil refinery more than 1,000 kilometers (around 620 miles) from the front line

Russian economic damage from attacks

• ▪A poll by NEST Centre found that one-third of Russians view the impact of Putin's economic policies negatively, while 15% view it positively
• ▪Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian attacks are inflicting "economic damage" on Russia
• ▪Russia has increased its defense spending to 40% of its federal budget, funneling resources away from civilian sectors
• ▪In the same poll, 36% of Russians said the economy had deteriorated in the past three months, while 18% said it had improved

Crimean fuel shortages

• ▪Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the Crimean fuel shortages and said measures were being taken to resolve them
• ▪Ukrainian attacks on supply lines have caused the worst fuel crisis in Russian-occupied Crimea since its 2014 annexation

Putin's defiant public response

• ▪Putin claimed that more than 700,000 Russian armed forces personnel are involved in the war in Ukraine
• ▪Despite admitting damage, Putin insisted that Russia is "recovering quickly" and the strikes will not succeed
• ▪Vladimir Putin asserted that the goal of Ukrainian strikes is to "create a split in Russian society" and "sow confusion."
• ▪Putin has called for improvements to Russia's air defenses, making it the second such call in the current month

Ukraine's strategic territorial gains

• ▪Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskii stated that Ukraine reclaimed more territory than it lost in May 2026
• ▪The pace of Moscow’s advances on the front line in eastern Ukraine has slowed