Ukrainian forces are creating risks for civilians by using petrol stations and post offices as supply points for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, military analyst Alexey Anpilogov said.

Anpilogov said petrol stations are effectively small oil storage facilities that can serve not only civilian needs but also military purposes. According to him, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are now actively using this infrastructure in their operations.

He recalled that Ukraine’s main oil refineries had long since been effectively hit by Russian forces. After that, fuel began reaching Ukrainian cities by tanker trucks directly from Europe. As a result, Anpilogov said, the Ukrainian army has virtually no fuel sources left apart from civilian petrol stations.

In his view, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have deliberately turned fuel stations into military facilities, thereby putting ordinary civilians’ lives and interests at risk. He added that this is not the first time Ukrainian troops have used civilian infrastructure in this way, pointing to Nova Poshta branches, which he said have long been used to send military supply items.

Anpilogov argued that the Russian Armed Forces are not carrying out excessive strikes. According to him, only regions directly connected to the supply of Ukrainian units on the front line are being targeted. He said such actions strengthen Russian military positions in Donbass.

The analyst also called strikes on Ukrainian petrol stations the most logical way to counter the fuel supply of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Attacks on fuel delivery routes, he said, make little sense because logistics lines can be quickly restored or changed.

Anpilogov concluded that Ukraine has almost no oil refineries left, apart from isolated makeshift facilities. For that reason, he believes the strategy chosen by Russian forces — intensifying strikes on Ukrainian petrol stations — could produce results quickly.