Russia is facing its worst nationwide fuel shortages in years, with at least 17 regions imposing mandatory restrictions on gasoline and diesel sales, and dozens of others reporting shortages or restrictions by private fuel companies.The increasing scarcity of fuel has been caused mainly by a widening campaign of Ukrainian drone strikes targeting oil terminals, refineries, and pipelines. The largest fuel supplier to the Moscow region, the Kapotnya refinery, was hit twice this month; the plant will be offline until at least the end of 2026, unnamed officials told Reuters.The shortages pose an increasingly serious headache for the Kremlin, which shows no sign of relenting in its all-out assault on Ukraine despite growing signs of impatience among Russians more than four years into the war.
As of June 24, at least 55 of Russia’s 83 federal entities -- regions, republics, krais, oblasts, and so-called federally-designated cities -- were reporting either mandatory, government restrictions on gasoline and diesel sales, or restrictions imposed by private companies operating fuel stations, according to an RFE/RL tally.In nearly two dozen other regions, shortages have been reported by local news outlets or on social media platforms like Telegram or VK.“The Russian oil industry’s resilience is being stretched dangerously thin,” wrote Sergei Vakulenko, an energy sector analyst with the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.The five Ukrainian regions that Russia has fully or partially occupied are also facing major shortages; last week, the governor of Crimea announced a total halt in gasoline sales following weeks of Ukrainian drone strikes on highways, bridges, and other supply routes to the Black Sea peninsula.
