Russia confirms fuel imports as deadly strikes hit Kyiv
Russia's government has confirmed it has begun importing gasoline from India after Ukrainian strikes crippled its refineries, while a Russian attack on Kyiv killed at least five people.
Russia, once a fuel exporter, has been forced to start importing gasoline after a sustained Ukrainian campaign targeting its refineries and fuel depots caused shortages across the country and in occupied Crimea. Three industry sources and shipping data cited by Reuters confirmed that at least one cargo of Indian gasoline has already entered Russia's domestic market, unloaded at the Arctic port of Vitino in early August after being transferred from a tanker loaded at India's Vadinar port. At least two more Indian gasoline shipments are expected at Russian ports within two weeks.
Russia is also arranging rail-based gasoline imports from Belarus and Kazakhstan and has banned fuel exports entirely. It reportedly began importing diesel from Asia as well. Deputy prime minister Alexander Novak acknowledged on Wednesday that imports had started, though he did not disclose volumes or sources. Purchasing limits have returned at Moscow petrol stations, with state oil giant Rosneft capping sales at 30 litres per purchase nationwide.
In Kyiv, at least five people were killed in a heavy Russian missile and drone attack early Thursday. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the upper floors of a nine-storey residential building had collapsed and caught fire, with people trapped in another building hit in the strikes; Ukraine's air force said Kalibr missiles were used. On Wednesday, a Russian drone strike on a minibus in Kherson killed four people, and a drone-missile hit on police headquarters in Zhytomyr killed two officers and wounded at least 20 others. In Russia's Belgorod and Bryansk regions, drone strikes on vehicles killed two people, according to Russian officials.
Separately, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed a senior aide, Iryna Mudra, amid a corruption investigation into an alleged money-laundering scheme involving officials in his office. In Croatia, a Ukrainian man was arrested over the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline bombings, with Germany seeking his extradition. The UN's humanitarian chief visited Kherson and described attacks on aid workers as chilling. Russia and Ukraine each exchanged 103 prisoners of war on Wednesday, with another swap expected before the end of August.
