(MOSCOW) – Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has finally addressed last week’s humiliating drone strikes on Moscow, dismissing them as proof of Russian battlefield strength rather than a sign of vulnerability. His remarks, delivered days after the attacks generated global headlines and widespread mockery on social media, marked an attempt to reframe the most impactful strikes on the capital since the Second World War.
Putin stated that the situation at the front was deteriorating rapidly for the “Kyiv regime” and that Ukrainian forces had adopted a tactic of striking civilian targets and infrastructure as they lose territory. He claimed the strikes were an attempt to disrupt energy supplies and impact the tourist season.
The comments came as Russian state media reported that a Kremlin installed official in Crimea, Vladimir Constantinov, chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea, said intensified Ukrainian attacks on the peninsula were retaliation for Crimea’s 2014 referendum to join Russia. The admission contradicted the official Moscow line that Crimea was already part of Russia before the current phase of the war.
Sergey Axenov, the Russia installed head of Crimea, also inadvertently acknowledged the scale of the problem, describing drone attacks as a new challenge for Crimea and adding that “we must endure them,” effectively conceding Russia’s inability to address the threat.
Overnight, drones from Ukraine’s Alpha Special Operations Center, part of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), struck four aircraft shelters at the Saki air base along with S400 and Pantsir S1 air defence systems near Kerch in Crimea. The SBU stated it would continue methodically turning Crimea into a zone of constant losses for Russian forces until they leave the Ukrainian peninsula, adding that Russian occupiers are losing control of Crimea’s skies. (Footage released by the Security Service of Ukraine).
The Russian Ministry of Defence reported that 323 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russian regions, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azov. In a move that inadvertently amplified the scale of the Ukrainian operation, the ministry then listed over 20 regions that had been targeted.
The repeated attacks on Russian logistic lines are being felt across the country, with the majority of regions now reporting petrol shortages. In the Krasnodar region, one driver expressed disbelief at being unable to refuel her vehicle. “We’ve reached the point where we can’t even fill up the tank anymore,” she said. “There is no fuel at the gas stations in Krasnodar. Tell me what’s happening in the country.”
In Russian controlled Crimea, authorities in Sevastopol have imposed limits on public transport, shop and cafe opening hours, street lighting, and outdoor events. Industry sources told Reuters that Russia’s petrol output last week was down approximately 25 percent compared to the daily average in June 2025. Seaborne oil product exports fell roughly 15 percent in the first half of June compared to the first half of May due to unplanned refinery maintenance after repeated drone attacks.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov attempted to deflect from the crisis, claiming all global economies are affected by current oil price volatility. In response, Moscow is considering emergency measures to address fuel shortages. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak described the situation on the Russian fuel market as “challenging but manageable” during a meeting with Putin, outlining measures including a complete ban on diesel exports, fuel imports from other countries, and adjustments to tax rules. Fuel shortages have already led to sales restrictions, long queues, and higher prices in several regions.
Russia analyst James Kilner noted the significance of Putin’s acknowledgement of the crisis. “He told a government meeting yesterday in his own KGB sort of through the looking glass way that the situation around fuel supplies in Russia was ‘difficult,'” Kilner said. “This is a huge understatement. But the importance is that he has referenced it. This is very unusual for Putin. He rarely references or acknowledges any sort of problems.”
Kilner added that the crisis was unavoidable for the Kremlin. “They’re now saying that 20 regions in Russia are limiting fuel supplies for cars. This is from mainstream Russian media, propagandist media which normally defends the Kremlin and Putin to the hilt.” He said the CEO of Rosneft, the Russian state oil company, was advising Putin to reduce refinery output to fuel quality levels that Europe has already discarded as too dirty.
The analyst highlighted that Russian opposition sources reported Putin was being advised by two of his most senior security advisers to postpone regional elections in September due to collapsing popularity, a remarkable development driven by the fuel crisis, increased censorship, the protracted war, and economic problems.
Beyond Crimea, overnight Ukrainian strikes hit a gas producing plant and a helium plant in Orenburg Oblast, near Kazakhstan, and another space communication centre in Vladimir Oblast, east of Moscow. It was the second such facility hit this week after the Dubna site was struck on Sunday.
On the diplomatic front, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski warned that Russia may be preparing a staged false flag incident on its own territory to justify escalation, drawing parallels with Nazi Germany’s 1939 provocation against Poland. Western intelligence sources have raised concerns Russia could use hybrid tactics such as drones or cyber attacks against NATO’s eastern flank, particularly Poland and the Baltic states. Mr Sikorski said, “This sounds like an announcement of a provocation. I expect an attack on Russian territory under a false flag to which Putin will respond.”
Meanwhile, Russia has publicly accused the United States of failing to honour unspecified understandings allegedly reached between Putin and Donald Trump at their Alaska summit in August 2025. For three days, senior Russian officials including Sergey Lavrov and Sergey Ryabkov have complained that Washington has not fulfilled its commitments. The Kremlin has frequently referred to the “spirit of Anchorage,” alluding to its contention that Donald Trump is sympathetic to Russia’s central demand that Ukraine cede its entire Donbas region.
James Kilner described the phrase as a propaganda mechanic used to portray Putin as a peacemaking leader. “When the Kremlin is under pressure on the battlefield or things aren’t going particularly well at home, Lavrov is generally wheeled out to trot out this line of breaking the spirit of Anchorage,” he said. Putin claimed the entire West was working for Kyiv, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested the lack of recent diplomatic momentum from the Trump administration may have been a US ploy to buy time to rearm the “Kyiv regime.”
In other developments, South Korea announced ahead of talks with Ukrainian ministers in Seoul next Tuesday that it will accept all North Korean prisoners of war who fought for Russia and were captured by Ukraine if they choose to go to South Korea.
The European Commission dispersed 34 million euros (approximately 40 million US dollars) in immediate support to help Armenian businesses mitigate the impact of Russian trade restrictions. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Azerbaijan and Armenia next week as the EU seeks to strengthen its presence in the South Caucasus and develop the Middle Corridor trade route.
On the frozen Russian assets front, campaigners are pushing a new initiative to unlock 185 billion euros held in Belgium. Hugo Dixon, commentator at large for Reuters, outlined a plan called the “Russian Transfer” to move the frozen account from Belgium to the European Union itself. “Move the frozen Russian account out of Belgium to the European Union itself so it’s not any longer sitting on small Belgium’s shoulders, but it’s sitting on the broad shoulders of the European Union itself,” Dixon said.
Dixon noted that Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever stated in October that it would be “the happiest day” of his career if the entire Russian account including liabilities was transferred out of Belgium. The proposal addresses Belgium’s concern by moving both assets and liabilities, with the EU providing an indemnity to Belgium and Euroclear against potential legal action.