A new wave of fuel shortages that began in early August has already reached most of the country. On the morning of August 17, several stations in the Moscow region were out of gasoline, while diesel remained available at nearly all sites.
The crisis, which intensified from May through July and spread across virtually all Russian regions, stemmed from seasonal demand growth and the shutdown of several refineries after drone attacks.
By the end of July the situation had steadied, and some regions lifted or eased restrictions. That relief was short‑lived; a fresh wave of drone attacks on refineries at the end of July and the start of August triggered a renewed tightening of limits.
Today, strict fuel‑sale restrictions remain in force in most Russian regions, with partial limits in 16 regions.
The most difficult situation with fuel
The Russian government said the hardest supply problems are in the Orenburg, Lipetsk, Oryol and Tver regions, the Krasnodar, Transbaikal, Primorsky and Krasnoyarsk territories, as well as in the Republic of Tuva and the Republic of Khakassia.
Prerequisites of the crisis
At the start of August, regional reports highlighted a new wave of the fuel crisis in Russia amid Ukraine‘s strikes on refineries. At the end of July, the Russian government extended the ban on gasoline exports until January 31, 2027 and on diesel exports until August 31, 2026.
Source: Pravda
