Russia’s fuel crisis is directly affecting about 50 million people, or roughly 35% of the country’s population. Financial Times reported this, citing its own analysis based on the number of motorists in each Russian region.
The newspaper says the current crisis is the most severe since the late Soviet period. By various estimates, Russian oil refineries have lost between 20% and 40% of their capacity because of Ukrainian drone attacks.
Boris Dodonov, head of energy research at the Kyiv School of Economics, told FT that in June Russia processed an average of 4.1 million barrels of oil per day. That is 28% below the five-year average and 35% below installed capacity.
“The crisis is real. People feel it. But so far it has not yet led to large-scale economic consequences,” said Sergey Vakulenko, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Berlin Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies.
According to the newspaper, the crisis deepened as Ukrainian drone attacks on oil facilities in Russian regions intensified. It says all of the country’s largest refineries have come under attack.
Against the backdrop of gasoline shortages, restrictions on fuel sales have been introduced across different parts of Russia. Since early July, six regions have either already switched or are preparing to switch to a license-plate-based gasoline distribution system: cars with even-numbered plates can refuel on even days, and those with odd-numbered plates on odd days.
The authorities hope the measure will reduce lines at gas stations, where, the report says, residents have been forced to wait for hours and even days.