Zelenskyy on impact of refinery strikes in Russia: more Russians want war to end

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that as a result of Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russia's oil and gas sector, Ukraine is managing to shift public sentiment in Russian society and force Russia back to the negotiating table.

Source: Zelenskyy at a press conference on 16 July

Quote: "Our main objective was to reduce the amount of money they [the Russians – ed.] spend specifically on defence, meaning on the war itself. And we are seeing that happen: when their exports were running smoothly, salaries, contracts and related payments kept rising, but at some point that growth stabilised.

We already know that funding for personnel is beginning to fall in some parts of Russia's war machine, so to speak...

As a result of Ukraine's disruption of Russian logistics, diesel and petrol supply indicators inside Russia have shifted further in Ukraine's favour. Why? Because the number of people in Russia who want this war to end has started to grow. There are no illusions here.

I do not believe there has been any rise in the number of people who have started treating us with respect or who genuinely want us to have a good life. I simply do not believe that.

What we do clearly see, however, is that the number of people who genuinely want this war to end has grown several times over. For now, that is the only indicator we have."

Details: Zelenskyy said Russia will either step up mobilisation or move towards dialogue after the State Duma elections in autumn 2026.

Background:

• Ukrainian forces are striking Russian oil refineries and dozens of tankers on an almost daily basis.
• Drones are reaching Russian facilities thousands of kilometres from Ukraine's border.

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