The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service (HUR), Kirilo Budanov, stated that strikes on oil refineries have caused more damage to the Russian economy than international sanctions.
“In fact, our strikes have had a greater impact than the sanctions. It’s just a mathematical truth. We have caused far greater damage to the Russian Federation through direct actions than any economic levers of influence introduced so far. This is also an unpleasant reality, which leads us to the conclusion that, obviously, this is not enough“, said Budanov, at the International Economic Forum in Kiev, according to Ukrinform.
According to the HUR chief, the pressure of current sanctions on Russia remains insufficient to change Moscow’s policy.
“And if the situation continues as it is, it will not have enough impact to change the mindset of the Russian Federation. But, in combination with what we are doing, it will, and already is, yielding results”, Budanov added.
According to Ukrinform, on the night of October 16, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Saratov oil refinery.
Attacks on Russian energy infrastructure have intensified in recent months, becoming a clear component of Ukraine’s strategy to reduce Moscow’s ability to finance the war.
In a report published by the Financial Times, it is shown that, from August 2025 to the present, 16 out of the 38 oil refineries in Russia have been targeted, forcing a drastic drop in diesel exports – the lowest level recorded since 2020.
Russia was forced to introduce emergency measures to stabilize the domestic fuel market. In September, the authorities extended the ban on gasoline exports and imposed new restrictions on foreign sales of diesel, marine fuel, and gasoil.