UN Convoy Targeted in ukraine as Russian Fuel Exports Plummet
KYIV, Ukraine – A UN convoy was reportedly attacked in Ukraine today, amidst growing evidence that Russian fuel production is facing meaningful disruption. Simultaneously, the OECD has reported a sharp decline in Russian fuel exports – including diesel and fuel oil – in September, reaching levels ”the lowest in a decade.”
The downturn in exports is linked to a reduction in Russian crude oil refining capacities, estimated “by around 500,000 barrels per day,” leading to fuel shortages within Russia itself. This follows a sustained campaign by Ukraine, which has intensified strikes on Russian refineries and oil infrastructure as the beginning of august, carrying out over thirty attacks to date in an effort to weaken Moscow’s ability to finance the war.
The attacks come as Russia increases strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and railway network as winter approaches,triggering widespread power outages. Eight Ukrainian regions – Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovograd, Cherkassy, Zaporizhia, and the capital, Kyiv – are currently experiencing significant power cuts due to damage to installations caused by recent Russian strikes, according to Ukrenergo, the electricity network operator. Planned power cuts in Kyiv were later cancelled by the main private operator, DTEK, via Telegram. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of attempting to “sow chaos” among the population.
In a separate growth, President Zelensky has revoked the Ukrainian citizenship of Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov, a prominent local politician previously considered pro-Russian. The Ukrainian security services (SBU) accuse Trukhanov of holding Russian nationality and possessing a valid Russian international passport, allegations he has consistently denied. Ballet dancer Sergei Polounin, known for a tattoo of Vladimir Putin on his chest, has also been stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship.
Trukhanov has served as mayor of Odessa,a key Black Sea port,as 2014.The loss of citizenship effectively removes him from his mayoral position.
