Restrictions on gasoline sales have been introduced in the Irkutsk, Omsk, and Novosibirsk regions. Later, authorities in the Saratov region announced similar measures for private consumers.
Omsk region governor Viktor Khotsenko said on the evening of June 22 that, in his words, “to avoid artificial panic at filling stations,” the region would ban fuel sales into canisters and impose a limit of 40 liters of gasoline per vehicle. Diesel sales were also restricted to 80 liters per refueling at regular gas stations and 200 liters at highway stations.
Irkutsk region head Igor Kobzev said on June 22 that the region was, as he put it, “forced to switch to manual operation,” with fuel volumes to be determined individually for each recipient.
On the morning of June 23, Novosibirsk region governor Andrey Travnikov said fuel sales in the region would also have to be limited because neighboring regions had already introduced caps on gasoline and diesel. He said the regional Industry and Trade Ministry had been instructed to negotiate with gas station chain owners to develop a common position during the day.
Saratov region governor Roman Busargin announced restrictions on the evening of June 22. He said that until June 30, gas stations in the region would be limited to selling 30 liters of gasoline per car.
Busargin called it a “forced measure aimed at reducing unjustified panic and possible speculation in the fuel market.”
Against this backdrop, Meduza notes that Ukrainian forces have been regularly striking Russian oil-refining infrastructure. According to Reuters at the end of May, drone attacks forced nearly all of the largest refineries in central Russia to reduce processing or suspend it temporarily.