Russia's gas station crisis reaches Moscow as pumps shut down nationwide
Photo: The shortage is explained by reduced output at oil refineries (Getty Images)
Gas stations across Russia are shutting down en masse. The main reason for this trend is a drop in production at oil refineries, according to the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service.
Over the past two months, the number of gas stations in Russia has decreased by 360, or 2.6%.
According to statistics, one in every fifty Russian gas stations has stopped selling gasoline.
Independent gas stations have been hit the hardest - their numbers fell by 4.1%, while stations owned by vertically integrated oil companies saw only a 0.8% drop.
"Some networks that continue operating amid local fuel shortages have had to limit gasoline sales to 10–20 liters per customer or temporarily sell only diesel," the intelligence service reported.
The Southern Federal District has been the hardest hit, with over 220 stations, or 14.2% of the region’s total, stopping fuel sales. In the Rostov region, Mari El, and the Jewish Autonomous Region, gas stations have decreased by 12–14%.
Moscow affected, but the worst shortages are in Crimea
The fuel crisis has reached Moscow, the Moscow region, and the Leningrad region. In the capital, Lukoil has banned gasoline sales in jerrycans at some stations.
However, the most acute shortages are in temporarily occupied Crimea and Sevastopol, where roughly half of all gas stations have stopped selling gasoline.
The head of the occupation administration in Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, urged residents "to be patient" and explained the shortage as due to "objective reasons," namely the "drop in output at Russian oil refineries."
The Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service predicts that Russia's fuel deficit will worsen, as most refineries and fuel depots are concentrated in the western part of the country.
It’s worth noting that Ukrainian drone strikes on enemy refineries have contributed to Russia's fuel shortages. Popular gasoline grades, Ai-92 and Ai-95, are often unavailable at Russian stations.
The problem is particularly severe for private gas stations that are not part of vertically integrated oil companies and face difficulties in purchasing gasoline due to reduced refining and high interest rates.
Attacks on refineries have reduced Russia's oil processing by nearly a fifth on some days and cut exports from key ports.
Through these strikes, Ukraine aims to hit the Kremlin's war machine and pressure Russian leader Vladimir Putin into peace negotiations.
