KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Strikes on Russian oil facilities by Ukraine’s newly developed long-range missiles and drones are causing significant gas shortages in Russia, while on the battlefield a recent Ukrainian counter-offensive has derailed Russia’s plans to capture parts of the eastern Donetsk region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says.
Ukraine’s new Palianytsia missile has hit dozens of Russian military depots, Zelenskyy said. The Ruta missile drone, meanwhile, recently struck a Russian offshore oil platform more than 250 kilometers (150 miles) away in what Zelenskyy called “a major success” for the new weapon.
Also, swarms of Liutyi and Fire Point long-range drones — up to 300 units in one operation — have hit Russian energy facilities, and Ukrainian forces recently fired Neptune and Flamingo missile systems at Russia, the Ukrainian leader said.
Russian fuel shortages and higher imports indicate that Ukraine’s attacks are working, Zelenskyy said at a news briefing Wednesday. His remarks were embargoed until Thursday.
“The main thing is that (Russia is) now importing gasoline — that’s a signal,” he said. Ukrainian intelligence reports show Russia has boosted imports from Belarus sixfold and removed import duties, while also bringing in fuel from China.
“According to our data, they’ve lost up to 20% of their gasoline supply — precisely after our strikes,” Zelenskyy said.
Russian officials have made no public comment about possible gas shortages.
The successes with weapons designed and manufactured by Ukraine are a welcome development for Kyiv after more than three years of fighting Russia’s invasion, as Moscow deploys its bigger army and economic resources in an attempt to crush its neighbor.
Ukraine has received Western military aid but has been frustrated by restrictions imposed by the United States and European allies on deep strikes into Russia, out of fear of escalating the war.
Ukraine has poured huge efforts into weapons development and has fast become a global center for defense innovation.
Zelenskyy said he wants the United States to provide Ukraine with additional long-range weapons, specifically naming American-made Tomahawk missiles that can carry large warheads but which Washington has previously refused to provide.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been frustrated in his efforts to end the war by Russian objections, said earlier this week that he has “sort of made a decision” on whether to send Tomahawks to Ukraine. He did not elaborate.
“At the last meeting I did not hear ‘no,’” Zelenskyy said of his request for Tomahawks, adding that U.S. officials had agreed to work on the question at a technical level.
A delegation led by Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko is due to travel to the U.S. early next week for talks about air defense, energy cooperation, sanctions and the use of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s war effort.
On the battlefield, Zelenskyy said the most intense fighting remains around Pokrovsk and Dobropillia in the eastern Donetsk region, where Ukrainian troops have launched a counter-offensive operation he described as “very difficult but very timely — and successful.”
“This operation derailed Russia’s summer offensive campaign,” he said, adding that what he said was Moscow’s plan to occupy much of the Donetsk region by November had failed.
Russian commanders have been ordered “to take Pokrovsk at any cost,” he said, citing intercepted Russian military communications.
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine has contingency plans to protect its natural gas infrastructure, which has been the target of heavy Russian attacks in recent weeks as winter approaches.
“We have Plan A and Plan B,” he said. “Plan A is to rely more on our own extraction. Plan B … is to switch to imports. We understand the volumes, the cost of those imports, and where to get the necessary funds.”
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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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