Putin says Ukraine’s waiting game won’t work, while Russians wait in line for hours for gas

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine is striking Russia’s oil refineries to create what he called a “nervous atmosphere” in the country.

“It’s completely obvious that the enemy is trying to damage the economy. But the main thing is that they’re trying to create an atmosphere of anxiety in society. You and I understand that this task is impossible,” Putin said on July 8 at a meeting with government members.

Putin described the safety margin of Russia’s energy system as “very high — one of the highest in the world” and urged companies not to “hoard product” within their own gas station networks, directing them instead to supply fuel to independent stations.

He attributed the fuel shortages to temporary disruptions, citing in part Ukraine’s effort to spoil the vacation season.

Putin also directed officials to move faster to expand the capacity of small and medium-sized businesses to produce petroleum products.

In recent months, Russia’s fuel crisis has worsened, caused by Ukraine’s strikes on its oil refineries (all of the country’s largest refineries have been attacked). As a result, Russians have been waiting in line at gas stations for several hours at a time.

Putin said in late June that Ukraine had offered to stop striking Russia if Moscow stopped striking deep into Ukrainian territory, but the Russian president rejected it.