Page 109 - bneIntelliNews monthly country report Russia May 2024

Ukraine must destroy three to four oil refineries per month to provoke a fuel crisis in Russia, said the director of the energy programs at Razumkov Center, Volodymyr Omelchenko. According to him, over 30 large oil refineries in Russia have a total capacity of 330 million tons. So far, Ukraine has already "helped" Moscow to get rid of more than 14% of total capacity. At the same time, the Russian Federation produces more than 45 million tons of gasoline and consumes 38 million tons, so the country is already experiencing a certain shortage of this petroleum product. However, there is no shortage of diesel fuel, as more than 80 million tons are produced, and 40 million are consumed. "For Russia to reach the crisis point of no return, it is necessary to destroy three or four refineries every month," the expert explained. The Hill notes that to change the calculus on the battlefield in its favor, Ukraine’s attacks on refineries must become more frequent. As experts note, every dollar lost from taxes on industry is a dollar that Russia will not invest in the army and weapons. In addition, rising fuel prices could create domestic problems for Putin.
Russia plans to restore operations at the drone-damaged oil refineries by
109 RUSSIA Country Report May 2024 www.intellinews.com