Mon 29 June 2026:

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said Russia has begun using its fuel reserves amid intensified Ukrainian attacks on the country’s energy sector.

Speaking at a meeting on fuel supplies to Russian regions, Putin said gasoline reserves stand at 1.7 million tons, down 4% from last year.

“I’ll add that previously accumulated fuel volumes have entered the domestic market,” he said. “However, despite the fact that we’ve begun using these reserves, gasoline reserves are currently almost at the same level as last year.”

Putin said the country fully uses the capacities of its largest oil refineries and the potential of small and medium-sized enterprises.

“Routine maintenance periods have also been reduced, and scheduled maintenance has been postponed,” he said.

He also said a ban on the export of diesel fuel is under consideration, noting that a temporary ban on the export of gasoline and jet fuel has already been imposed “in the interests of domestic consumers.”

Noting lines at gas stations, Putin said “it’s not always possible to find the right brand of gasoline these days.”

Due to recent Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries, several facilities suspended operations for maintenance, prompting Moscow to periodically impose restrictions aimed at stabilizing the domestic fuel market.

Restrictions on fuel sales have been imposed across several regions of Russia and Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Earlier this month, Ukraine’s General Staff claimed its forces had struck 16 major Russian oil refineries and fuel terminals, taking more than 30% of refining capacity offline.

__________________________________________________________________________

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

__________________________________________________________________________

Putin says Russia has received proposal to limit military action to 4 regions

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said that Moscow has received a proposal to confine military operations to four regions – Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk.

In an interview with state media outlet Vesti, Putin said contacts on negotiations over Ukraine are ongoing and include new proposals.

He said the proposal also calls for Russia and Ukraine to halt long-range strikes deep inside each other’s territory.

Putin also said Russia’s retaliatory strikes deep inside Ukraine are “much more powerful and sensitive.”

“We do not exclude the possibility of attempts by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, unexpected, as the enemy believes, unexpected for us, diversionary attacks with limited tasks by special forces and with the aim of diverting our attention and our forces from solving the main task — the final liberation of Donbas and Novorossiya,” he said.

Putin also said Ukraine would “pay” for its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region by losing territory that Moscow says is needed to establish a security buffer zone.

He said Russia and the US discussed possibilities for ending the conflict in Ukraine, but no agreements were signed at last year’s summit in the American city of Anchorage.

“But we discussed certain possibilities for ending the conflict in Ukraine. We were asked to accept the compromises formulated by American negotiators. Well, we agreed,” he said.

Putin said Russia is awaiting the arrival of US representatives once the “hot phase” of the Iranian conflict ends, reaffirming Moscow’s readiness to continue negotiations.

He added that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is also ready to provide assistance in negotiations with Ukraine.

Putin called “concerning” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s warnings to Lukashenko to remove signal relay stations from Belarus’ territory, saying Kyiv would act if they are not dismantled within a week.

“But this doesn’t cause any panic on the part of President Lukashenko. He’s approaching this very calmly, balanced, and measuredly,” he said.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

__________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22