Russia’s fuel supply shortage, which had partially eased in July, became pronounced again in mid-August. Data compiled on the GdeBENZ platform from drivers’ reports about stations showed that 28.1 percent of stations nationwide had gasoline or diesel available on August 16. The figure stood at 41 percent on August 9.
In addition to stations that had completely run out of fuel, some locations saw long queues and limits on sales volumes. Disruptions were concentrated particularly in southern Russia, the Volga region and some central regions.
License-plate and liter limits in the regions
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak is holding talks with industry representatives to address supply problems. A meeting chaired by Novak on August 14 discussed fuel supplies in the Orenburg, Lipetsk, Tver and Oryol regions; the republics of Tyva and Khakassia; and the Krasnodar, Trans-Baikal, Primorsky and Krasnoyarsk regions.
Russia’s Energy Ministry said that supply problems at fuel stations were continuing in some regions.
Broad restrictions on gasoline sales were reinstated in the Orenburg region starting August 12. Regional Governor Yevgeny Solntsev announced that vehicles could refuel on odd or even days depending on the last digit of their license plates.
A similar system was also reinstated in the Lipetsk region. Some major station chains supplied fuel on specific days according to license-plate numbers and limited gasoline sales to 30 liters per vehicle.
Some stations in Krasnodar sold fuel only to certain vehicles
The supply shortage became particularly pronounced in the Krasnodar region, one of Russia’s major tourism centers. As of August 17, at 11 of the 25 stations operating in Anapa, fuel was sold only to vehicles with fuel cards and special-service vehicles. The remaining 14 stations introduced varying limits on the amount of fuel sold per vehicle.
In Novorossiysk, a major port city, only five of the 28 stations operating that morning had AI-92 gasoline, while six had AI-95. Diesel was being sold at 27 stations.
In Sevastopol, fuel sales again used a QR-code system, while standard gasoline grades were subject to a 20-liter limit per vehicle. In the Altai Republic, a measure preventing drivers from refueling their vehicles more than once a day remained in effect. The regional administration said the restriction was intended to prevent excessive demand and purchases from multiple stations.
Some stations in Moscow had no fuel, while long queues formed at others.
FAS launches 41 investigations
Fuel supply problems have also become the subject of inspections by Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service. From the beginning of the year through August 17, the agency launched 41 investigations into oil companies and independent fuel-market operators and issued 68 warnings.
Thirty of the investigations were opened during the summer. That was approximately three times the number opened in the first five months of the year. The inspections focused primarily on possible violations of pricing and competition rules at fuel stations.
Government increases fuel deliveries to the domestic market
The first serious disruptions to Russia’s fuel supply began at the end of May. In the following weeks, many regions limited the amount of fuel sold per vehicle, banned sales into containers and introduced station-specific sales rules. Authorities said the situation improved after restrictions were eased in some regions in the second half of July.
The renewed decline in gasoline supplies in mid-August and the reinstatement of some restrictions that had previously been lifted were viewed as a second wave of the fuel crisis.
Russian authorities attribute the supply problems to the shutdown of some oil refineries, security issues linked to Ukrainian drone attacks on energy infrastructure, increased summer demand and logistical difficulties in transporting fuel to the regions. At the beginning of July, gasoline production in Russia had fallen to approximately 65 percent of average seasonal consumption.
Russia has begun importing gasoline from India and Morocco, in addition to Belarus and Kazakhstan, to reduce the shortfall in the domestic market. The government extended its temporary ban on gasoline exports until January 31, 2027, to increase domestic supply and asked oil companies to raise deliveries to regions experiencing fuel shortages.
The Energy Ministry is continuing measures to increase imports, keep refinery production at the highest possible level and direct existing fuel stocks to the domestic market. The government has also temporarily allowed the production, import and sale of Euro-2, Euro-3 and Euro-4 gasoline to increase supply. These fuels are defined as products with lower environmental standards than Euro-5 and may contain more sulfur and certain pollutants.
