Fuel crisis grips most regions of Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories
A severe fuel shortage, caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries, has led to strict sales restrictions in 53 regions and occupied areas.
According to Russian outlet The Bell, over 53 regions of Russia, as well as the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine — Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk — have imposed tough restrictions on fuel sales for private vehicles.
In 18 Russian regions and the occupied territories, drivers are limited to purchasing no more than 50 liters or only one full tank. In another 11 regions, although no formal limits have been set, most gas stations report significant fuel shortages.
Major Russian oil companies, including Rosneft, Bashneft, and TNK, have completely banned the sale of gasoline in canisters across the country.
The crisis stems directly from Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries. In May, Russia's oil production dropped to its lowest level of the year, and almost all major refinery facilities in central Russia had to scale back or stop operations. Ukraine struck 8 out of 10 of Russia's largest refineries in May, including repeated hits on the Yaroslavl refinery and Lukoil plants in Nizhny Novgorod and Perm.
According to Bloomberg, refinery throughput in May fell by 13% or 700,000 barrels per day year-on-year — the steepest decline since the start of the war. Meanwhile, Russia's crude oil exports did not drop and even brought extra revenue due to high global prices amid the Middle East conflict. Analysts note this confirms the drop in domestic processing, as there is nowhere to store the "excess" oil.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, commenting on the strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, stated that "Russia must be forced to end the war" and that "Ukraine's long-range weapons are an important component of such coercion."
Previously, on the night of June 12, Ukrainian forces struck two refineries in Tatarstan, including Tatneft's largest plant, Taneko in Nizhnekamsk, which then completely halted processing. On June 16, Tatneft introduced restrictions at its gas stations nationwide. The same morning, Ukrainian long-range drones successfully attacked the Moscow refinery in Kapotnya, the main fuel supplier for the Moscow region, meeting up to 40% of the capital's gasoline demand. The strike destroyed a key primary processing unit, halting the plant's operations.
