The affected areas include regions bordering Ukraine, such as Bryansk, Kursk, Belgorod, and Voronezh, as well as central Russian regions like Lipetsk, Saratov, Penza, and Nizhny Novgorod. Sales limits have also been introduced in oil-rich Siberian regions, including the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, which accounts for about 40 percent of Russia’s oil production. Additional restrictions apply in Tyumen, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo, and Irkutsk, as well as in North Ossetia and Adygea.
In the occupied Crimea and Sevastopol, authorities have suspended fuel sales. In the Russian-occupied part of Luhansk, customers may only purchase 20 liters per person. Regional officials cite increased demand, logistical problems, and higher prices as reasons for the measures. Some authorities accuse market participants of profiting from panic buying. The governor of Oblast, Andrei Klychkov, compared the situation to the hoarding of staple foods during the coronavirus pandemic.
The fuel shortage is a consequence of repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries and energy infrastructure. These attacks have reduced refining capacity in several regions. The Kremlin had already imposed temporary export restrictions on fuel in recent months and is now considering further measures, such as limiting diesel exports and possibly importing fuel to close the supply gap.
Source: www.kyivpost.com
