GUR has evidence of the shutdown of one of Russia's largest oil refineries in Kstovo – Zelensky

On August 28, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine revealed that Moscow is contemplating the deployment of military personnel and weaponry on civilian ships to safeguard its "shadow fleet" of aging tankers. These vessels, often flagged under convenient names, are used by Russia to export oil and petroleum products despite Western sanctions.

Ukrainian military intelligence claims that Russian warships are currently confined to the port of Novorossiysk due to the inability of the Russian navy to safely escort them to Black Sea ports. This situation has led to a significant decline in some segments of Russia's oil exports, with losses reaching up to 80% in August. These losses pose a substantial threat to both federal and regional budgets, many of which are already teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

In response, Ukraine intends to take its own measures against the militarization of civilian shipping. President Zelensky also commended recent Ukrainian deep strikes, which have greatly limited Russia's ability to produce solid-fuel rocket motors and halted operations at key facilities like the Kombinat Kamenskiy plant in Rostov Oblast and the Kstovo oil refinery in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.

Additionally, Zelensky indicated that Russia plans to intensify missile production, urging the complete blockade of all supplies of components, equipment, and machine tools used in missile manufacturing.