A new wave of motor fuel shortages has hit Russia, spreading across almost the entire country. Supply issues intensified in early August.
This was reported by Economichna Pravda citing Reuters, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
Specifically, petrol became unavailable at several filling stations in Moscow Oblast earlier this week. At the same time, diesel fuel remained available almost everywhere.
The latest fuel crisis in Russia began building momentum in May and had spread to most regions by July. The main drivers of the shortage were seasonal demand growth and shutdowns at several oil refineries following drone attacks. Although the situation stabilised temporarily in late July, the relief proved short-lived.
Impact of New Attacks on Russian Refineries
Repeated drone strikes on oil processing plants in late July and early August triggered another round of shortages. As a result, Russian regions had to reintroduce limits on fuel sales.
Currently, severe restrictions on fuel sales are in place in most Russian regions, with partial limits applied in 16 other regions. According to the Russian government, the most critical supply situations are observed in Orenburg, Lipetsk, Tver, and Oryol Oblasts, as well as Krasnodar, Zabaykalsky, Primorsky, and Krasnoyarsk Krais, Tuva, and Khakassia.
Government Measures to Contain the Crisis
To combat domestic shortages, the Russian government extended export restrictions on fuel in late July. The ban on petrol exports will remain in effect until January 31, 2027, while the ban on diesel exports has been extended until August 31, 2026.
Photo: Reuters
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