Increased Assaults on Russian Energy Infrastructure by Ukraine Show Significant Results
In a significant turn of events, Ukraine has been engaging in long-range warfare, utilising drones, missiles, and sabotage, targeting key Russian energy facilities. This strategy, aimed at disrupting daily life in Russia and hurting the Russian war machine, has caused substantial damage and far-reaching consequences.
Ukraine's latest weapon, the domestically produced cruise missile named the Flamingo, is capable of causing destruction within a radius of up to 38 meters. One such instance was the disruption of the Druzhba pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. This attack has led to a ripple effect, with Hungary and Slovakia complaining to the EU, stating that Ukraine is not primarily hurting Russia but them with these attacks.
The Flamingo missile's 1,150-kilogram warhead has had a significant impact on Ukraine's capacity to hurt Russia. Notable targets include the Lukoil refinery in Volgograd, the largest in southern Russia, which has sustained damage, and the Rostov region's refinery, where fires are still burning more than two days after the facility was hit.
The disruption has led to a surge in wholesale petrol prices on the St Petersburg exchange. Prices have risen by nearly 10% this month and about 50% since the beginning of the year. As a result, gasoline prices in Russia have reached record highs, causing hardship for Russian consumers who are now paying more at the pump.
Gasoline shortages have been reported in several Russian regions and annexed Crimea, with the city of Krasnodar being one of the latest victims. Ukrainian drones attacked an oil refinery in Krasnodar, causing fires that initially affected the gasoline supply in the city. However, the fires have since been extinguished.
Russian companies are urgently purchasing petroleum from Belarus to address domestic shortages, leading to an increase in demand for oil products on the Belneftekhim, the state-owned refiner in Belarus, market. Analysts expect the disruption to aggravate already high inflation and likely mean an extension of the ban on gasoline exports into the autumn.
The strategic attacks by Ukraine have caused approximately $74 billion in damage to Russian infrastructure this year. Despite this, the military is less affected by these attacks because its demand is mainly for diesel, supplies of which are less impacted.
However, the attacks have not gone unnoticed on the international stage. US President Donald Trump intervened, expressing anger about the disruption to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The European and US sanctions are complicating the repair of Russian energy infrastructure, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing conflict.
