Forbes: Putin's "lifeline" Is Already Under Attack

Ukraine and the U.S. may double the pressure on Russian Federation.

Ukraine and the United States may increase pressure on the Kremlin as drones and sanctions hit the lifeline of the Russian economy, writes Forbes.

Ukraine's campaign of drone strikes on Russian oil refineries is increasingly undermining Moscow's economic fundamentals. According to Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, the current dynamic gives the Donald Trump administration a chance to combine economic sanctions with "Kiev's kinetic campaign" to force the Kremlin to the negotiating table.

"Russia's oil exports remain its economic lifeline. That is why President Trump is focusing so much attention on this issue," Coffey emphasized.

Ukrainian drones are disabling Russia's oil infrastructure

Ukrainian armed forces strikes have already damaged between 17 and 21 percent of Russia's oil refining capacity. Last week, drones reached a facility 1,500 kilometers from the border. This has not only caused a fuel crisis, but also forced the Kremlin to distribute scarce air defense assets, reducing their numbers at the front.

Fuel prices inside Russia have risen by about 25%, and shortages are particularly acute in remote regions and occupied Crimea.

Sanctions and the crisis in Moscow

Added to this economic blow are Western sanctions, which have pushed Russian companies into 1990s-style bartering - grain and flax are exchanged for Chinese cars and building materials. The budget deficit has grown 150-fold to 4.2 trillion rubles.

The independent Levada Center has recorded: 66% of Russians now support the idea of peace talks - a record high. Only 27% favor continued war.

"David vs. Goliath"

"Russia's greatest asset has always been its size. But with the advent of a new arsenal of drones, that advantage is turning into a weakness. Russia lacks the resources to cover the entire territory," Coffey explains.

The former Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov emphasizes:

"Modern warfare is a war of resources, and Ukraine is David trying to find Goliath's weaknesses."

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