Putin acknowledges Ukrainian strikes are harming Russia’s economy

Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on 19 August 2026 that Ukrainian strikes against industrial and infrastructure targets inside Russia are causing direct harm to the domestic economy, while stressing they have not produced a systemic collapse.

“It is clear that the pace of economic activity has been hit by several factors, including external pressure, as well as the attacks on industrial and infrastructure facilities. These attacks did not, nor could they, lead to critical consequences, but they still inflict damage on us. We see that and fully understand it,” Putin said.

Putin told officials that the authorities will concentrate on measures to achieve Russia’s long‑term development objectives. He listed demography, education, digital transformation and technological leadership among the government’s priorities, and said maintaining stable, quality growth in the domestic economy remains a chief national goal that requires higher growth rates across numerous industrial sectors.

Fuel distribution measures in Moscow

At the same time, Moscow city authorities have imposed quotas on fuel sales at filling stations as several retail chains began rationing deliveries. The moves come despite Kremlin efforts to urgently reroute supplies from other regions toward the capital.

Gazprom Neft confirmed a temporary limit of 40 liters of fuel per vehicle. The company said the restriction is intended as a short‑term measure to manage distribution while supply lines are adjusted. The Moscow measures have produced long queues at pumps in some districts.

Analysts say that while the strikes have not caused a collapse of critical infrastructure, their cumulative effect complicates logistics and raises costs for businesses and households — pressures the Kremlin is attempting to offset through administrative and distribution measures.

Photo: press material from the event