Exiled Oligarch Says Ukraine's Drone Strikes Threaten Russia's Oil Sector

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the ex-Yukos magnate now living in exile, warned that Ukraine's relentless drone assaults are driving Russia's battered oil-refining system toward a dangerous breaking point. He explained that the strikes have inflicted damage that Moscow cannot fully fix while keeping the plants online, leading to reduced output and the return of long fuel lines in Moscow. Major fuel firms such as Gazprom Neft, Rosneft, Tatneft and Lukoil have again capped gasoline sales per customer or vehicle.

Khodorkovsky said the Kremlin is postponing scheduled maintenance and substituting low-grade fuel, which harms vehicle engines, but this is only a stop-gap. He warned that ongoing fires could weaken refinery structures, risking tank ruptures and spills. The former oligarch concluded that the question is no longer whether Ukraine's campaign works, but what will happen as the system approaches collapse.