Ukraine’s intensified drone attacks have severely disrupted Russian refining capacity, causing gasoline shortages and rationing. Russia is responding by importing fuel from Turkey, India and Belarus, while sending crude to Kazakhstan for refining. The disruption is raising domestic costs, restricting exports and increasing pressure on Russia’s oil-dependent economy.
Personal Remark
Europe’s Achilles’ heel is its lack of oil and gas. Diversification once offered resilience: the North Sea, Russia, the Middle East, Africa and the US. Today, each route faces constraints—from Hormuz and costly LNG to declining North Sea output and damaged Russian infrastructure. With winter approaching, rising geopolitical tensions are turning Europe’s oil and gas dependence into an increasingly dangerous strategic vulnerability.
Quote of the day
“The European Union is literally run by a bunch of morons.”
— Eni Versalis, Sheriff of ‘La Discoteca’, the Berlaymont cafeteria