Putin threatens to hit Ukraine's most sensitive economic sector
The threat follows Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries and warehouses that have squeezed Moscow's oil exports and logistics.
Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to retaliate for Ukrainian attacks by striking the country’s “most sensitive economic sector.” The remarks, published Aug. 22, came as Kyiv has stepped up summer drone attacks on Russian economic targets, including oil refineries and online retailer warehouses, which Moscow has tied to its war effort. Russia then intensified strikes on Ukraine’s economic infrastructure, including agricultural exports across the Black Sea. Putin said Ukraine had opened a “Pandora’s box” and that disruptions to Ukrainian grain exports would not cause global food shortages because Russia could replace those supplies. Data cited by Republika showed oil shipments from Primorsk, Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk fell to about 2.3 million barrels per day in the first half of August, about 15 percent below the initial plan.