June 28–29, 2026 — Southern refinery blaze and deep strikes
Prior strikes that set the stage
The Kremlin has rolled out a cascade of restrictions on fuel exports to preserve domestic supply:
Putin's "difficult period" admission on June 28 capped weeks of intensifying Ukrainian drone strikes that have knocked out or severely damaged multiple major refineries — most critically the Kapotnya plant supplying Moscow, which is expected to remain offline for months. The cumulative effect has driven Russia's worst fuel crisis in years, with at least 15–17 regions imposing rationing, panic-buying at pumps, and a raft of escalating government export bans on gasoline, jet fuel, and potentially diesel.