Russia: Fuel Shortages Reported After Refinery Attacks

Several regions in Russia and parts of Ukraine under Russian control are reporting gasoline shortages following Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries and amid a seasonal surge in demand.

Since the beginning of August, Ukraine has carried out attacks on refineries including those in Novokuybyshevsk, Syzran, Ryazan, and Volgograd.

Russia had imposed a ban on gasoline exports from July 28 to prevent shortages due to increased summer demand. However, the situation has been exacerbated by supply chain bottlenecks, limited domestic reserves, and refinery repairs.

In the Primorye region of the Russian Far East, kilometers-long queues have been reported at gas stations. Yevgeny Balitsky, the Moscow-appointed governor of the Zaporizhia region, stated that retail gasoline sales are facing problems due to high demand and maintenance work.

Sergei Aksyonov, the governor of Crimea, also acknowledged problems with fuel supplies, predicting that the situation may last for more than a month and will not be fully resolved until the end of the war.