Conflict · ArchivePutin Acknowledges Fuel Shortages as 81% of Russians Want War to End ImmediatelyAired July 7, 2026 at 4:53 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00But, while the human toll of this war0:02climbs into the millions, there is a0:04shift unfolding [music] on the other0:05side of the front line, one Vladimir0:08Putin can no longer keep off Russian0:10television screens. For more than 40:12years, the Kremlin's message has been0:14simple. The special military operation0:17is proceeding [music] according to plan.0:19This week, Putin broke from that script.0:21On Russian state television, Putin made0:24a rare admission that the war is causing0:26tangible problems inside Russia itself.0:29He blamed Ukrainian strikes for fuel0:31shortages spreading across the country.0:33>> [music]0:33>> His prescribed solution? More air0:36defenses. His assurance? Everything0:39remains under control. [music]0:41But, the images filling Russian social0:43media tell a different story. The0:46admission came after Ukrainian drones0:48knocked out the Gazprom Neft [music]0:50Moscow refinery in two attacks in0:53mid-June. That refinery supplied roughly0:5640% of the capital's [music] fuel.0:59Repairs are expected to take until at1:01least 2027. [music]1:03By late June, roughly 1/3 of Russia's1:06total oil refining capacity was offline.1:10Gasoline production had dropped 17%1:12compared to a year ago.1:14Long lines now snake through Moscow1:17petrol stations. [music]1:18More than half of Russia's regions have1:20imposed fuel rationing.1:22In occupied Crimea, the crisis is even1:25more acute. Russian-installed1:27authorities declared a state of1:29emergency on June 26th, [music]1:31suspending tourist activities and1:33children's summer camps through1:34September. Fuel stations halted sales to1:37private [music] individuals. The scale1:39of the drone campaign is staggering.1:41Russia's own government has confirmed1:43[music] intercepting more than 60,0001:45Ukrainian drones over Russian territory1:48in the last 6 [music] months, and more1:49than half of those interceptions1:51occurred in May and June alone.1:54Now, the cracks are showing [music] up1:56in the numbers.1:58An I K R R survey found that 81% of2:01Russians now support ending the war as2:03early [music] as tomorrow, the highest2:05figure since the full-scale invasion2:07began.2:08Support for fighting until complete2:10victory has collapsed to just 9%. 73%2:14oppose a second wave of forced2:15mobilization.2:17The personal cost is deepening.2:2031% of Russians now say they have a2:22mobilized relative, up from just 14% in2:252022.2:2721% report having a relative killed in2:30combat, and the Levada Center, an2:32independent Russian pollster, recorded2:35Putin's approval rating slipping to 74%.2:37[music]2:37The share of Russians who believe the2:39country is on the right track fell from2:4261% [music]2:43to 52% in a single month. That is the2:46steepest monthly decline since 2018.2:50As these cracks widen, [music]2:51the NATO summit is underway in Ankara.2:54President Zelenskyy is in the room2:56asking allies for the air defense2:57systems and long-range [music]2:59capabilities that would let Ukraine3:00sustain exactly this pressure. The3:02question now hanging over those meetings3:05[music] is one nobody was asking a year3:07ago. Who runs out first? Ukraine of3:10interceptors or Russia of fuel and3:13public patience?Explore with HeyDex