Part 3/12:
Ukraine’s Targeting of Russian Energy Assets
During the Biden administration, Ukraine began targeting Russian energy infrastructure, notably refineries, in efforts to disrupt fuel supplies critical to Russian military and civilian operations. Since much of the Russian military relies on diesel and civilians on gasoline, attacking fuel processing facilities was seen as an effective strategy to weaken Russia's war effort.
However, these efforts were curtailed by the Biden administration out of concern for triggering global energy price hikes. Despite undeniable changes brought by the shale revolution, Western policymakers still show reluctance to undermine Russian energy exports due to economic and geopolitical considerations.