Ukrainian forces have found Vladimir Putin's weak spot and are continuing to carry out successful attacks on him, writes Kyiv Independent.
Russian military aggression against Ukraine is mainly financed by revenues from the oil industry. For this reason, Russian refineries are a primary target of Ukrainian forces.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), in 2025 there were nearly 160 successful strikes on oil production and refining facilities, which led to fuel shortages and a 37% drop in refining capacity.
„These are legitimate military targets. Oil production and refining account for about 90% of Russia's defense budget. "These are dirty petrodollars that finance the war against us," said SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk.
The Russian government is under pressure to stop the ongoing attacks. To that end, Vladimir Putin signed a law on November 4 that allows reservists to protect critical infrastructure, such as oil refineries, from drone attacks.
Russia has lost many air defense systems in the past two years, so it is plausible that there are many gaps in their coverage that allow successful attacks, experts say.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia has concentrated its air defenses mainly on the Ukrainian front and a few strategic regions.
The situation around Moscow is different from other Russian regions. The capital and its surroundings are heavily defended, with numerous radar and missile systems.