Fuel shortages are worsening in Russia. Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries have disrupted fuel supplies in a number of regions. Disruptions are being seen primarily in the south of the country, but also in central Russia, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. Authorities in annexed Crimea, where the situation is most tense, have imposed strict restrictions.
And this may be just the beginning - the pressure on the fuel market will intensify in the coming months. In the summer, demand for gasoline and diesel in Russia traditionally increases due to agricultural work and the holiday season. If the intensity of drone attacks does not decrease and the damaged oil refineries fail to restore normal operation, local outages risk escalating into a large-scale crisis.
In which regions of Russia is there a fuel shortage
Over the past two weeks, fuel supply disruptions have occurred in more than ten Russian regions, according to publicly available sources studied by DW. In a number of cases, gas stations have imposed restrictions or completely stopped selling gasoline. The most tense situation is in the annexed Crimea. An acute fuel shortage there arose due to the fact that drone attacks disrupted traffic on the highway that connects the peninsula with the Rostov region and is one of the key routes for fuel supplies.
"Logistical lockdown” - this is how Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov describes the strikes on the transport routes connecting Crimea with Russia. Unleaded gasoline is now being sold with coupons there, and according to local media, the largest gas station chains have not sold it to individuals for more than a week. Of A92 gasoline, which is not suitable for all cars, no more than 20 liters can be purchased. A black market has already appeared. Ads are being posted online for the sale of gasoline at 200-350 rubles per liter - with an average price at gas stations of 78 rubles.
15 gas stations in the Krasnodar region have stopped selling fuel. This is still an insignificant number - according to local authorities, there are about a thousand gas stations in the region. However, residents complain on social networks that gasoline periodically disappears even at those gas stations that have not officially announced a suspension of sales. They attribute this to the influx of drivers from Crimea who arrive in the Krasnodar Territory to refuel.
The disruptions, although milder, have spread almost across the country. In most cases, they are small gas stations that are not affiliated with oil companies. There is no talk of a full-scale crisis yet. But complaints are growing, and prices at gas stations are slowly rising.
Damage caused by Ukrainian strikes
Almost every year at the end of summer, Russia faces fuel shortages of some degree. In 2026, the pre-crisis situation began to take shape even before seasonal factors had fully taken effect - drone attacks began earlier and seemed to have become more effective. According to Bloomberg calculations, eight of the ten largest Russian oil refineries were attacked in May alone, with some of them - for example, the "Lukoil" plants in Nizhny Novgorod and Perm - being attacked for the second time.
Russian statistics on fuel production are mostly classified. However, some data are still published - and they indicate a serious decline compared to last year. According to information from the Russian statistics service "Rosstat", the production of petroleum products in April 2026 compared to April 2025 fell by 9%. In May, according to Bloomberg estimates, the decline was even more significant - 13% compared to last year's level.
The authorities are preparing for the expansion of the fuel crisis
On average, Russian companies produce more fuel than is needed for domestic consumption. But as demand grows, the surplus will decrease. And if refineries continue to fail, fuel shortages could become systemic. Market participants are already warning of this. "A pronounced fuel shortage is currently only noticeable in Crimea - in the rest of Russia there are still reserves, but the current supply is not enough", a source connected to the fuel market told the Russian newspaper "Kommersant". "If the situation does not improve, by the end of July or the beginning of August the shortage will cover many more regions".
The Russian Ministry of Energy has created a special headquarters to "ensure stable and efficient operation of the country's entire fuel and energy complex". It is not yet clear what specific measures this headquarters will take. Earlier, the authorities have already imposed a ban on the export of gasoline - something that has been done before, and then on aviation kerosene - something that has never happened before. The St. Petersburg International Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange has seen a significant increase in the supply of gasoline from Belarus.
What blow will the fuel crisis deal to the Russian economy
The scale of the growing crisis is still unclear. Most likely, fuel will become more expensive, but not sharply: retail gasoline prices in Russia are strictly regulated by the state. Individual independent gas stations and small chains may temporarily close so as not to operate at a loss. The situation in Crimea is likely to remain tense - unless the Ukrainian army lifts the "logistics lockdown".
At the same time, the damage to the Russian state remains limited for now, according to expert Isaac Levi: oil that cannot be processed in the country is being exported. Ukrainian drones are also attacking Russian export infrastructure, but so far these attacks have not had a significant impact on its operation. Moreover, according to Bloomberg data, in early June, the volumes of Russian oil exports by sea reached their highest level since the beginning of the war.
Author: Oleg Loginov