President Vladimir Putin acknowledged fuel supply problems in Russia following repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on oil and energy infrastructure, saying the situation has led to a “certain shortage,” though he insisted it was not critical.

In a Kremlin-published interview, Putin said the strikes against critical—especially energy—facilities were “obvious[ly]” creating problems and that Russian authorities are observing fuel constraints at present. He said the government’s main tasks are to strengthen Russian air defenses and to ensure fuel supplies, particularly for Crimea.

The Kremlin-linked reporting also described wider impacts from the disruption, including queues at fuel stations in some regions, alongside efforts by authorities and industry to manage distribution and availability.

Separately, officials in Russian-annexed Crimea declared an emergency related to fuel shortages and power cuts, blaming Ukrainian attacks on logistics and oil facilities used to support the region.

Ukraine has described its attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure as retaliation for Russian strikes on Ukrainian civilian and energy targets.