Fuel crisis reaches Russia's key oil-producing region, media report
Photo: amid Russia's fuel crisis, gasoline sales restrictions are being introduced in several regions (Getty Images)
The fuel situation in Russia continues to worsen. New restrictions have been introduced in areas where a significant share of the country’s oil production is concentrated, The Moscow Times reports.
Restrictions on the sale of gasoline and diesel fuel have been introduced in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug — a region that accounts for about 40% of Russia’s total oil production.
According to the outlet, at Gazpromneft filling stations in the region, one person is allowed to purchase no more than 40 liters of gasoline and 80 liters of diesel fuel. Refueling is only permitted directly into a vehicle’s tank and after prepayment.
Such restrictions, according to an employee of one gas station, were introduced on the night of June 23.
"This is just nonsense, I think to myself as a Russian citizen. We are flooded with oil to our ears, wells are being shut down because there's nowhere to put it, but there’s no gasoline," complained a resident of the town of Raduzhny.
Similar restrictions were introduced in the oil town of Strezhevo in the neighboring Tomsk region. Local officials explained that the measure was necessary to stop mass fuel outflows to other areas.
Drivers in Tyumen also reported restrictions at gas stations. Meanwhile, the governor of the Novosibirsk region, Andrey Travnikov, said that similar measures could be introduced there as well due to the situation in neighboring regions.
Earlier, authorities in the Omsk, Irkutsk, Saratov, Voronezh, Tambov, and Amur regions also reported limits on gasoline and diesel sales. In total, various restrictions are already in place in more than 50 regions of Russia.
According to Energy Intelligence, due to Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, refining volumes fell below 4 million barrels per day in early June — the lowest level in 21 years. At the same time, nearly one-third of refinery capacity was idle.
Energy Intelligence analysts said that Ukraine’s campaign against Russia’s energy sector has caused extensive damage, pushing the country toward the worst fuel crisis in its history.
Fuel problems in Russia have been recorded for several months already. Earlier, dozens of regions began introducing restrictions on gasoline and diesel sales due to growing shortages.
In addition, amid regular strikes on Russia’s oil refining infrastructure, the Russian authorities allowed refineries to produce fuel using lower environmental standards to avoid further reduction in supplies to the domestic market.
Reuters also reported that due to the gasoline shortage, Russia is considering importing fuel by sea. The shortage has already been officially acknowledged in occupied Crimea and several regions of Siberia.
