Russian port city of Novorossiysk runs out of gasoline
Queue at a Rosneft gas station in Russia (photo: Getty Images)
Gasoline has completely disappeared from gas stations in the Russian port city of Novorossiysk, while diesel fuel remains available only in limited quantities, the Russian news outlet 93.RU reports.
According to the city's municipal management center, refueling in Novorossiysk is currently possible only with fuel cards. However, they may be used only by company vehicles belonging to entrepreneurs and legal entities that have special agreements with the gas station operator.
Regular gasoline for civilian vehicles is completely unavailable at gas stations. Diesel fuel is still available, but it is being dispensed in limited quantities and only at eight gas stations across the city.
The situation in Novorossiysk sharply worsened after fuel supplies were halted in occupied Crimea. According to residents, drivers from the peninsula rushed to refuel in neighboring Russian regions, literally flooding local gas stations.
Due to the surge in demand for fuel, a special regime was introduced at gas stations in the neighboring city of Anapa. Police officers, officials, and volunteers have begun patrolling the stations.
They are managing queues, trying to prevent fights over fuel, and prohibiting people from filling jerry cans. Anapa's city administration described these measures as an "optimization of gas station operations."
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged problems with fuel supplies but claimed that they were supposedly not critical.
Gasoline prices in the aggressor country have reached new record highs, while queues at gas stations are rapidly spreading across almost all of Russia.
