Highlighting the growing strain caused by Ukrainian attacks on its oil refineries, Russia has increased fuel imports from Belarus. At the same time, the Kremlin is reducing both fuel exports and import duties to stabilize domestic supply.

These developments follow repeated Ukrainian drone and other sabotage strikes against Russian energy refineries, storage depots, and extraction facilities. Ukraine is carrying out these strikes in order to complicate the resupply of Russia’s war machine and exert pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in more serious negotiations toward peace.

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