Russia urgently imports oil and fuel from everybody it can, as 50% of refineries are burning

Inside the Russian Federation, the backbone of its global influence—energy—has begun to crack, as Moscow turns to foreign imports to fill its own shortages. What was once the Kremlin’s most powerful economic weapon is now a growing liability, exposing how sustained Ukrainian strikes and internal decay have gutted Russia’s refining capacity. The shift from exporter to importer of fuel marks one of the most symbolic reversals of the war, undermining Russia’s claims of resilience and self-sufficiency. For months, key industrial regions like Bryansk, Volgograd, and Samara have struggled to maintain output as refineries burn and supply chains fracture. Emergency measures—ranging from tariff changes to state seizures of oligarch-owned energy assets—signal panic rather than stability. Each decision reflects a deeper systemic failure, where short-term fixes can no longer disguise a collapsing foundation of the Russian energy state.

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