The latest British defense intelligence report shows that Russia has a serious problem caused by Ukraine’s drone attacks.
Britain’s Defense Intelligence Agency has analyzed the impact of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian facilities on the country’s industry. It’s about refining crude oil.
The British Ministry of Defense said it is likely that Russia’s oil refining capacity has temporarily fallen due to numerous Ukrainian drone attacks on refineries across Russia. Analysts noted that the Russian Federation imposed a six-month ban on gasoline exports on March 1, 2024 to stabilize prices in the domestic market amid rising demand.
“The export ban will reduce supply pressure and allow Russia to repair its refineries,” the analysis said. However, intelligence suggests repairs are likely to take longer than usual as Western sanctions make it difficult for Russia to import some key components.
“The Russian government will be particularly exposed to the impact of rising prices of petrol and other everyday products in the run-up to Russia’s presidential elections on March 15 and 17,” the UK Ministry of Defense stressed.
The US prepared for a Russian nuclear attack on Ukraine
U.S. officials say the Biden administration was particularly concerned in late 2022 about Russia’s possible use of tactical or combat nuclear weapons. CNN reports that belief in the risk of nuclear attack “was not influenced by a single indicator, but by a combination of events, analysis and, most importantly, highly sensitive intelligence data.” As one of the station’s interlocutors said, the concerns “weren’t just hypothetical.”
“We had to plan everything to put ourselves in the best possible position if this unthinkable event actually happened,” he said.
The station reports that the US National Security Council has convened a series of meetings between late summer and fall 2022 to develop action plans in case there are very clear signals that the Russians plan to attack with nuclear weapons.
Russia could consider a tactical nuclear strike as a way to deter further losses in Ukraine’s occupied territories, as well as a possible attack on its territory. The publication recalls that the Russian propaganda machine simultaneously spread false information about the “Ukrainian dirty bomb,” which, according to US officials, could be used as a pretext for a Russian nuclear attack.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
