Gas stations across Moscow have reimposed strict fuel purchase limits as a second wave of shortages -- driven by Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries -- spreads through the country.
Fuel rationing has returned to Moscow. Major gas station chains reimposed strict purchase limits this week as a second wave of shortages -- driven by months of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries -- tightens its grip on the country.
Gazprom Neft capped gasoline purchases at 60 liters per vehicle at most of its stations in the capital, while automated locations limited customers to 40 liters. Tatneft set its own ceilings at 50 liters of gasoline and 60 liters of diesel per vehicle across its Moscow network. Rosneft, Russia's largest oil producer, limited gasoline sales to 30 liters per vehicle nationwide. Lukoil confirmed restrictions in Moscow and the surrounding region but did not disclose the exact caps.
The new limits mark the return of a problem that first erupted in May, when shortages spread to nearly all Russian regions by July. Authorities responded with an export ban on gasoline and diesel, relaxed fuel quality requirements, and turned to imports to prop up domestic supplies.
By the end of July the situation appeared to stabilize, and some regions lifted their restrictions. The reprieve lasted only weeks. New waves of drone attacks on refineries in late July and early August set off a fresh round of disruptions, and Moscow -- long shielded from the worst of the shortages -- is now feeling the squeeze.
Long lines of cars have formed at filling stations around the capital, and premium AI-95 gasoline has become especially hard to find. On Tuesday evening, the fuel was available at just one Neftmagistrali station in the entire city. Prices for what remains have climbed as high as 120 rubles, roughly $1.50, per liter.
Drivers outside Moscow are faring no better. Authorities in at least ten regions -- including Orenburg, Lipetsk, Tver, Oryol, Krasnodar, Primorsky, Krasnoyarsk, Tuva, and Khakassia -- have tightened controls on fuel sales. An industry survey found gasoline and diesel available at only 28 percent of Russian gas stations as of mid-August.
The shortages trace back directly to the war in Ukraine. Repeated Ukrainian strikes on Russian refining capacity have knocked refineries offline and forced unscheduled maintenance at major plants, a point the oil companies have themselves conceded in public statements about elevated demand and refinery repairs.
Fuel is the lifeblood of Russia's military logistics. The same refining network that feeds civilian pumps keeps the army's vehicles moving, and every refinery taken offline strains both. The Kremlin is now redirecting gasoline from eastern Russia toward Moscow in an effort to protect the capital, a move that simply shifts the pain onto regions already struggling with supply.
Wholesale gasoline sales on Russia's main energy exchange have dropped roughly 20 percent since the start of August, a sign the squeeze reaches far beyond the pumps.
Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev insists fuel is available and has acknowledged that lines are forming at filling stations. The government has admitted to supply problems in a number of regions and says it is working to increase deliveries to the most vulnerable areas.
For Moscow drivers, the immediate question is how long the limits will last. The first wave eased within weeks once export bans and imports took effect. This time, the damage to refining capacity is deeper, and the drone campaign that caused it shows no signs of stopping. For Russia, the fuel crisis is no longer a regional problem -- it has arrived in the capital.
Gas stations across Moscow have reimposed strict fuel purchase limits as a second wave of shortages -- driven by Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries -- spreads through the country.
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