Since September 24, gasoline has completely disappeared from gas stations in annexed Crimea, including the most expensive brand A100, reports the publication "Krym.Realii."
According to Inga, a resident of Sevastopol who spoke with "Nova-Evropa," there has been a recent increase in fuel prices.
"Practically, when moving from one point to another, you can find fuel in some places. But, in my opinion, about half of the gas stations along the way will be empty," she shared.
Victoria, a tourist traveling from the Saky district of Crimea to Russia, stated in an interview with "Nova-Evropa" that almost all gas stations along the route were "empty" — only gasoline brands 92 and 95 were occasionally available.
Another local resident, Anastasia, in a conversation with the publication's correspondents, noted that on the southern coast of Crimea, in the village of Malorechenskoye, there has been no gasoline for ten days, and in Alushta since September 20.
"Before, you could call a hotline and find out where fuel was available. Now operators simply say that there is no gasoline in stock, it is only dispensed using cards or coupons. There is a chat where people exchange addresses of operating gas stations. The queues there are huge. A full tank refill now costs up to 9,800 rubles. Fuel prices have skyrocketed," Anastasia told "Nova-Evropa."
A Crimean human rights activist, speaking with journalists from "Krym.Realii," reported that the situation has been deteriorating over the past ten days and has now reached its peak.
"What Crimeans feared has happened. There is no fuel at the gas stations, many stations are closing altogether to avoid personnel salary expenses. <...> The number of cars on the roads has decreased significantly. Public transport is overcrowded. Many citizens openly express dissatisfaction, blaming the Kremlin leadership for what is happening," he stated.
The activist also noted that budgetary organizations receive gasoline based on minimal needs, while private businesses are suffering significant losses due to logistics disruptions.
Earlier, the chairman of the Russian government of Crimea, Yuri Gotsanyuk, explained that the fuel shortage is linked to a temporary reduction in production volumes at oil refineries, which has led to decreased supplies to the peninsula.
The gasoline crisis in Russia traditionally has a seasonal character. Typically, fuel shortages and price increases begin in late spring, peak in summer amid scheduled refinery maintenance, and subside by autumn.
However, as traders and analysts interviewed by "Nova-Evropa" point out, the 2025 crisis will be particularly prolonged. The reason is that a large number of refinery repairs are scheduled for this year, which is related not to bombings but to equipment maintenance schedules. Additionally, gas station owners not affiliated with major oil companies (who account for about 40% of fuel sales in Russia), due to the high key rate of the Central Bank, were unable to build up sufficient fuel reserves in spring, as is usually practiced.