Budanov Says Strikes on Russian Oil Terminal Strengthen Ukraine’s Position in Talks

April 10 ------ Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, said that attacks on Russian oil terminals are strengthening Ukraine’s position in ongoing negotiations.

Speaking at a briefing at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Budanov said “definitely” when asked if recent intensified strikes on Russian energy were impacting the negotiation process. “They definitely are. That’s obvious,” Budanov said, according to state media Ukinform. Ukraine has ramped up attacks on Russian oil facilities – particularly those on the Baltic ports – with the Baltic strikes alone estimated to have cost Moscow nearly $1 billion in oil revenue within a week.

Budanov, who recently said some of Ukraine’s allies had urged a pause in strikes on Russian oil infrastructure amid rising energy prices, added that he expects “a lot of new things” in upcoming talks with Moscow but questioned whether Moscow’s position would change despite the strikes, according to Ukrinform. “In the next negotiations with them, I think we will hear a lot of new things. In any case, this significantly strengthens our position and does not make it, as they say, weak. We must do everything to strengthen our victorious position,” Budanov said.

Ukrainian forces struck the Ust-Luga oil terminal in Russia’s Leningrad region overnight on April 7, where additional drone strikes were also reported at the Sheskharis oil terminal at the port of Novorossiysk region on April 6.

A major oil export pumping station in Russia’s Krasnodar was also targeted by Ukraine on Thursday morning, with the strikes now reaching near-daily frequency in recent weeks.

Source: kyivpost.com