Drone Attacks Cause Fuel Shortages in Russia
Rising Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries and energy infrastructure are responsible for the recent spurt in gasoline shortages in the annexed Crimea and several parts of southern Russia, says the country's energy department.
Increased Aerial Attacks
Companies in the fuel and energy sector have recently faced an escalated number of enemy aerial attacks. These attacks have triggered temporary issues with fuel supplies in a few southern regions. This has been acknowledged by the energy department without a mention of any specific sources.
Maintaining Energy Sector Stability
An industry-wide task force has been established to ensure the stable and efficient functioning of the country's entire energy sector, say unnamed officials.
Ukrainian Strategy
This spring, Ukraine has increased its attacks against Russian oil refineries and supply lines. The aim is to strip the Kremlin of the benefits from the rising oil prices. Drone strikes have either stopped or reduced production at facilities that contribute significantly to Russia's gasoline output.
Besides attacking Russian refineries, Ukraine is also targeting fuel trucks on the R-280 Novorossiya highway. This highway links the annexed Crimea to the Rostov region in southern Russia.
Claims of Stability
Despite the fuel rationing that began last month at local gas stations in the annexed Crimea, Russia's energy department claimed the domestic gasoline market was "stable and under control".
Local Impact
A resident of Crimea, who wished to remain anonymous due to the risks associated with talking to journalists, said that people are becoming worried and are beginning to stockpile food, sugar, and grains. However, she said the problems created by the local gasoline shortage are still manageable for now.
Another resident of the annexed peninsula reported that gasoline in Sevastopol, Crimea's largest city, is now only available through special QR codes issued by a state-backed messaging app. This app is being promoted by authorities as an alternative to other messaging platforms.
She stated, "We couldn't get a QR code yesterday. There aren't enough QR codes for everyone." She also mentioned that due to fuel rationing, fewer cars can be seen on the streets of Sevastopol. However, she added that public transport continues to operate normally.
Uncertain Scale of Shortages
Outside Crimea, the full extent of the gasoline shortages remains uncertain. Some regions have introduced rationing measures that seem to be aimed more at preventing panic-buying and hoarding, rather than addressing an immediate severe supply shortage.
Rising Gasoline Prices
Since the beginning of the year, the average price of gasoline in Russia has increased by 4.8%, with a single-week surge pushing national averages to 67.83 rubles per liter.
Latest weekly data shows that fuel costs have risen across 73 regions, with the biggest rise of 3.2% in the republic of Tuva. Diesel prices have increased by 0.8% week-on-week to a national average of 79.46 rubles per liter.
Export Ban and Production Cut
There is an ongoing ban on gasoline exports in Russia until the end of July to protect local supplies and fight rising prices. Recent shortages have led Russia to reduce crude exports for June and redirect this supply to domestic refineries for gasoline production.
Rising Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries and energy infrastructure are responsible for the recent spurt in gasoline shortages in the annexed Crimea and several parts of southern Russia, says the country's energy department.
Increased Aerial Attacks
Companies in the fuel and energy sector have recently faced an escalated number of enemy aerial attacks. These attacks have triggered temporary issues with fuel supplies in a few southern regions. This has been acknowledged by the energy department without a mention of any specific sources.
Maintaining Energy Sector Stability
An industry-wide task force has been established to ensure the stable and efficient functioning of the country's entire energy sector, say unnamed officials.
Ukrainian Strategy
This spring, Ukraine has increased its attacks against Russian oil refineries and supply lines. The aim is to strip the Kremlin of the benefits from the rising oil prices. Drone strikes have either stopped or reduced production at facilities that contribute significantly to Russia's gasoline output.
Besides attacking Russian refineries, Ukraine is also targeting fuel trucks on the R-280 Novorossiya highway. This highway links the annexed Crimea to the Rostov region in southern Russia.
Claims of Stability
Despite the fuel rationing that began last month at local gas stations in the annexed Crimea, Russia's energy department claimed the domestic gasoline market was "stable and under control".
Local Impact
A resident of Crimea, who wished to remain anonymous due to the risks associated with talking to journalists, said that people are becoming worried and are beginning to stockpile food, sugar, and grains. However, she said the problems created by the local gasoline shortage are still manageable for now.
Another resident of the annexed peninsula reported that gasoline in Sevastopol, Crimea's largest city, is now only available through special QR codes issued by a state-backed messaging app. This app is being promoted by authorities as an alternative to other messaging platforms.
She stated, "We couldn't get a QR code yesterday. There aren't enough QR codes for everyone." She also mentioned that due to fuel rationing, fewer cars can be seen on the streets of Sevastopol. However, she added that public transport continues to operate normally.
Uncertain Scale of Shortages
Outside Crimea, the full extent of the gasoline shortages remains uncertain. Some regions have introduced rationing measures that seem to be aimed more at preventing panic-buying and hoarding, rather than addressing an immediate severe supply shortage.
Rising Gasoline Prices
Since the beginning of the year, the average price of gasoline in Russia has increased by 4.8%, with a single-week surge pushing national averages to 67.83 rubles per liter.
Latest weekly data shows that fuel costs have risen across 73 regions, with the biggest rise of 3.2% in the republic of Tuva. Diesel prices have increased by 0.8% week-on-week to a national average of 79.46 rubles per liter.
Export Ban and Production Cut
There is an ongoing ban on gasoline exports in Russia until the end of July to protect local supplies and fight rising prices. Recent shortages have led Russia to reduce crude exports for June and redirect this supply to domestic refineries for gasoline production.
