Six Russian regions left without gasoline for public
Photo: A gas station in Russia (Getty Images)
Gasoline has completely disappeared for the public in six Russian regions amid the country's fuel crisis, while in many other regions, drivers can refuel only in regional administrative centers, according to the Telegram channel Mozhem Obyasnit (We Can Explain).
A fuel availability map has been launched in Russia amid a gasoline crisis triggered by successful Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries. According to the map, there are no operating gas stations in Kabardino-Balkaria, Ingushetia, Chechnya, Dagestan, the Magadan region, or Chukotka.
Dagestan was among the first regions to introduce strict fuel rationing, limiting purchases to no more than 20 liters of gasoline and 50 liters of diesel per person in an effort to distribute remaining supplies more evenly.
The situation is also critical in other Russian regions, where fuel is largely available only in administrative centers:
- In Kalmykia, the map shows just one operating gas station, located in Elista.
- The Astrakhan and Kaliningrad regions, as well as North Ossetia, each have only two operating gas stations.
- Tuva has three functioning gas stations, two of which are located in the regional capital, Kyzyl.
Meanwhile, neighboring Volgograd region has more than 20 operating gas stations, according to the map. Despite the shortages, officials in the Astrakhan region deny there is a fuel deficit, blaming long lines on seasonal demand. Authorities in the Kaliningrad region say additional fuel deliveries have been arranged and temporary restrictions introduced to stabilize the market.
Gasoline only for officials
Government vehicles continue to receive fuel even in the hardest-hit regions, as they are allowed to bypass queues or use separate supply channels.
In Saratov, for example, Rosneft gas stations are supplying fuel exclusively to emergency services, district administration vehicles, public service centers (MFCs), and Russian Post. Similar priority fueling rules for government agencies and officials are in place in Volgograd and Krasnodar.
At the end of June, restrictions on gasoline sales or supply disruptions were reported in nearly 90% of Russia's regions. Fuel prices in the country reached record highs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged problems with fuel supplies but insisted that the situation was not critical.
Russia has also begun diverting gasoline from Belarus that had originally been intended for Central Asian countries. However, even record-high deliveries have failed to fully eliminate the shortage.
RBC-Ukraine also reported that Kazakhstan has limited vehicle border crossings to once per day in an effort to stop the large-scale fuel outflow from the country.
