Zelenskyy claims Ukraine obtained internal documents on Russia’s economic losses

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service has obtained internal Russian documents assessing Russia’s losses during the war, claiming Moscow is attempting to conceal the data from both the international community and its own citizens.

Zelenskyy made the remarks in a post on his Telegram channel.

Among the key indicators cited is a reduction in the number of active oil wells. He said one Russian oil company has already been forced to shut down around 400 wells, describing it as a significant loss for the country’s oil production sector. He also stated that oil refining has declined by at least 10% over just a few months this year.

Zelenskyy also pointed to what he described as a crisis in Russia’s banking sector, saying that 11 financial institutions are preparing for liquidation, while another eight are facing critical problems requiring external assistance.

“Optimistic for us are also the figures of the federal budget deficit this year — already almost $80 billion by the fifth month of the year, and this amid the bankruptcy of a significant part of Russia’s regional budgets,” Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian president further stated that Kyiv is monitoring attempts by Russia to involve international companies in circumventing sanctions.

“I have also instructed the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Oleh Ivashchenko, to disseminate, in a format that will not harm our sources, the information obtained about Russia’s attempts to involve global companies in correcting the financial crisis and circumventing sanctions. In particular, we have recorded, unfortunately, attempts to organize the export of grain from the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, as well as other economic exploitation of the peninsula with the participation of entities from the United States. (...) We are also recording attempts to attract investment and technology from democratic countries into Russian Arctic oil and gas projects,” he said.

By Vafa Guliyeva