Russian Railways Sets Up Task Force to Tackle Fuel Shortages

Russia's state railway monopoly announced Wednesday the formation of a task force to manage fuel transportation across the country, as an increasing number of regions implement rationing measures amid a coordinated Ukrainian drone campaign against oil refineries and supply lines.

The task force will focus on maintaining steady deliveries of petroleum products while navigating a volatile "operational environment" — a standard euphemism used by officials to refer to the fallout from Ukrainian attacks. The company highlighted growing concern over aviation fuel, noting that keeping Russian airports supplied has become a "zone of special attention" to eliminate shortages.

Earlier this month, the Russian government banned jet fuel exports until the end of November. At the same time, Russian Railways said it was accepting maximum cargo volumes within current technical limits and urged other companies in the supply chain to strictly adhere to unloading schedules, warning that any delays could cause bottlenecks and disrupt the return of tank cars to refineries.

Russia's Energy Ministry said last week it set up an industry-wide task force with the country's largest energy companies to ensure stable and efficient operation of the entire energy sector. It acknowledged for the first time that Ukrainian attacks were to blame for difficulties in the domestic fuel market.

Dozens of Russian regions have seen fuel rationing gradually introduced at gas stations in recent weeks. The disruptions come at a critical time, with both the summer vacation travel season and the agricultural farming season in full swing. The severity of rationing varies by region and retail chain. In most cases, caps on gasoline purchases appear designed to prevent panic buying and hoarding rather than address an acute crisis.

Annexed Crimea has borne the brunt of the disruptions. The peninsula depends entirely on fuel transported from mainland Russia, and supplies have become so limited that motorists are now required to acquire QR codes to fill up at local gas stations.

The average price of gasoline in Russia has climbed 5.6% since the start of the year, with a single-week jump pushing national averages to 68.45 rubles per liter ($3.55 per gallon) as of June 8. Industry sources told Reuters on Wednesday that Russia will import fuel from Asia by sea this month due to the shortages.