Russia’s fuel crisis, which Meduza says has been driven by repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries, continues to worsen. Gasoline shortages, or spikes in demand driven by fears of a deeper deficit, are being reported across much of the country. Vladimir Putin acknowledged the problem the day before, though he described the situation as “not critical.” According to the outlet, authorities in 26 regions have already imposed fuel sales restrictions, but lines at gas stations are still growing.
The deterioration has been especially visible in Siberia after restrictions were introduced on June 23 in Irkutsk, Omsk, and Novosibirsk Regions. In Irkutsk Region, where the situation appears most severe, Governor Igor Kobzev declared a high-alert regime on June 28 to prevent an emergency caused by the gasoline shortage. Police and National Guard officers began patrolling gas station lines, and police later said they had filed four reports against residents accused of reselling gasoline at inflated prices.
According to local residents posting on social media, lines at gas stations in Irkutsk and nearby areas have lasted for hours and even overnight. Some drivers say they waited about 18 hours before they were able to refuel. One woman said she drove from Irkutsk to Angarsk, about 50 kilometers, and still could not find gasoline.
Irkutsk Mayor Ruslan Bolotov said portable toilets would be installed near gas stations to reduce the inconvenience for people waiting in line. He added that there were no problems with diesel fuel in the city, but gasoline was available through only one retail chain. Residents have also reported portable toilets along highways and informal home gasoline delivery services charging about twice the normal price.
Long lines or a complete lack of fuel have also been reported in Ufa, Izhevsk, Yekaterinburg, Krasnodar, Kaliningrad, and other cities. A resident of Rostov-on-Don said that four stations offered only diesel, and after several hours of searching, gasoline ran out while she was still waiting in line. In Ivanovo Region, the author of one video said the queue included about 150 cars.
On June 26, the outlet Fortanga reported that some Rosneft stations and several other companies’ stations had suspended operations in Ingushetia. Separately, Krym.Realii, citing an employee of a local provider, reported that in annexed Crimea, fuel shortages combined with prolonged power outages could soon also disrupt internet access. Against that backdrop, Meduza says, Russians continue to respond with irony on social media, even as the overall situation appears to be moving closer to a critical point.