Ukraine says its strikes on oil refineries have forced Russia to start importing jet fuel for its warplanes

Ukraine says its strikes on Russian oil refining facilities have led to a significant reduction in jet fuel production.

MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP via Getty Images Ukraine said that its strikes on Russian oil facilities have pushed Moscow to import jet fuel.

Russia has a "shortage of domestic resources" as it tries to increase attacks and fly civilian jets.

Ukraine is attacking oil and gas facilities across Russia to try to hamper its fighting ability.

Ukraine said over the weekend that its strikes on Russian oil facilities have reduced production so much that Russia is now having to import fuel for its warplanes.

On Saturday, Ukraine's GUR, the country's military intelligence agency, said that "systematic and precise strikes by Ukraine's Defense Forces against Russia's oil-refining network have led to a significant reduction in jet fuel production in the Russian Federation." It said that Russia's increasing air attacks against Ukraine , "combined with the need to sustain civilian air transport, have resulted in a shortage of domestic resources." "To meet the needs of military and civilian aviation, Russia, which for decades has positioned itself as an energy superpower, has officially introduced a temporary ban on the export of its own aviation fuel and is being forced to seek ways to import foreign Jet A-1 aviation fuel," the GUR said.

That fuel is compatible with a range of Russian military aircraft used to launch missiles and bombs, as well as jet-powered drones.

The GUR added that Russia is now fueling its Il-76MD-90A military transport with fuel outside manufacturer recommendations.

The GUR said that Russia had purchased at least 70,000 tonnes of aviation fuel from South Korea and Egypt that was delivered on three shadow fleet tankers.

The fleet is a network of vessels that Russia uses to circumvent Western sanctions through hidden ownership, among other methods.

The GUR Saturday said that Russian efforts to "circumvent sanctions will inevitably receive an appropriate response." Ukraine is conducting a major long-range strike campaign targeting oil and gas facilities inside Russia in a bid to damage the country's economy, which depends heavily on the energy sector, and frustrate its ability to continue its invasion of Ukraine.

The strikes have hit targets hundreds of miles into Russia.

Ukraine refers to these strikes against Russia's economy as "long-range sanctions." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised this month that "there will be more Ukrainian deep strikes, which should demonstrate to Russia and the Russians that peace is necessary." Ukraine has targeted Russian oil and gas facilities.