From: Jason Jay Smart — Putin’s regime is entering its most unstable phase in decades. New Ukrainian drone strikes have crippled key parts of Russia’s energy network and exposed the weakness of its war economy. Fires tore through Gazprom’s Orenburg gas plant, one of Russia’s largest, after a precision strike that halted gas intake from Kazakhstan. In Samara, explosions at the Novokuybyshevsk refinery disrupted production that fuels the Russian army. Satellite images confirm that 73 percent of Crimea’s Feodosia oil terminal is destroyed, severing a major supply route to occupied territories.
The damage extends far beyond the battlefield. Power substations feeding Moscow and central industrial regions have been repeatedly hit, threatening cascading blackouts. The Kremlin is quietly raising taxes, slashing enlistment payments, and admitting shortfalls in regional budgets. Inflation is rising, housing starts are collapsing, and consumer spending is plunging.
Abroad, pressure mounts. The IMF cut Russia’s 2025 growth forecast to 0.6 percent. The coal industry has reported losses exceeding 225 billion rubles this year. EU and US sanctions are expanding, targeting energy and finance, while unrest spreads through the regions.
Ukraine’s precision strikes are dismantling the pillars of Putin’s system. The energy grid, the economy, and the illusion of control are all breaking at once.
Voice of Ukraine 