Cars queue for gasoline at the Lukoil gas station in Nakhavino, a suburb of Moscow, Russia, on July 8, 2026. Numerous drone attacks on Ukrainian oil refineries have left Russian cities suffering from motor fuel shortages.
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Ukraine is stepping up attacks on Russian fuel tankers in the Sea of Azov in an attempt to disrupt supplies to occupied Crimea as drone attacks cause a nationwide gasoline shortage.
Robert Brobdy, commander of Ukraine’s drone force, known as the Magyars, announced via telegram that 14 Russian ships were attacked in the Sea of Azov on Thursday night, bringing the number of Russians stranded on Ukrainian drones in the past 96 hours to 35. CNBC could not independently verify this report.
The drone attack was part of a Ukrainian operation aimed at cutting off supplies and transport routes to Crimea, which was occupied by Russia in 2014.
Located off the southern coasts of both Ukraine and Russia, the Sea of Azov is a shallow inland sea located northeast of the Crimean Peninsula.
Defense experts and strategists say Ukraine’s drone strikes are critical to stalling Russia’s military momentum, while warning that the successful Kiev barrage greatly increases the risk of escalation.
Ukraine has frequently targeted high-profile refineries in major cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg in recent weeks as part of its ongoing efforts to cut off Russia’s energy revenues.
Earlier this week, Ukraine carried out what is believed to be one of the heaviest attacks on Russian territory in the war so far.
Black smoke was seen billowing from a major oil refinery in the city of Omsk on Tuesday, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared that the country’s improved drone capabilities had put Siberia “within reach.”
The Omsk facility is located about 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) from Ukrainian territory and close to the Russian-Kazakh border.
Russia’s economic situation
Long lines are being seen at gas stations in Russia as the country faces a worsening fuel crisis. In fact, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently acknowledged for the first time the impact of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian fuel production.
Holger Schmieding, Berenberg’s chief economist, said the Kremlin’s “war costs are increasing.”
Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth stalled in the first quarter, after a sharp slowdown last year and a temporary boost from a surge in military spending in 2024 and 2023, official data showed.
A man refuels his car at a Gazpromneft gas station in Moscow on June 24, 2026.
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“While the civilian sector appears to be shrinking due to labor shortages, shortages of some supplies, and high interest rates, the military sector continues to thrive,” Schmieding said in a research note published Friday.
“Unless the Strait of Hormuz is closed again for a certain period of time and energy prices and Russia’s export earnings rise, Russia’s economic and financial situation is likely to deteriorate further significantly,” he added.
