Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly acknowledged for the first time that Russian motorists and businesses are facing difficulties purchasing gasoline.
According to Ukrinform, Putin made the remarks during an unscheduled meeting at the Kremlin attended by senior government officials and executives of Russia's largest energy companies, as reported by TMT.
"Problems remain both for motorists and businesses: there are still queues at gas stations, unfortunately, and it is not always possible to find the required grade of gasoline. And, of course, we understand the difficulties faced by agricultural producers and farms during the summer season," Putin said.
According to him, measures taken to address the fuel crisis, which has spread to nearly all Russian regions, including around 30 that have imposed official restrictions at gas stations, include a ban on gasoline and aviation fuel exports, the mobilization of production capacity at both large and small refineries, and discussions on suspending diesel exports.
"Previously accumulated fuel reserves have been released onto the domestic market," Putin said.
