In many regions of Russia and in the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, petrol is in short supply. Authorities have introduced nationwide rationing: vehicles are limited to 20 liters per fill-up. Long queues form at gas stations, and prices are rising. Bitter jokes about the situation are circulating on social media. One user on the annexed Crimea posted that he was “on business” with a horse in Simferopol and that what mattered now was “a full tank of oats and hay.”
The situation is particularly tense in the occupied territories of eastern Ukraine. In Donetsk, a resident named Sergei reported that he had spent almost the entire previous day waiting in line—in vain. The next day, he got lucky: there was petrol. Another station was charging 110 rubles per liter, but before he reached the pump, the fuel ran out there as well. A woman from Makiivka, 15 kilometers east of Donetsk, threatened the attendant that she would walk home on foot if he did not let her fill up.
The fuel shortages are a consequence of Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, most recently near Moscow. The number of such attacks has doubled since the beginning of 2026. More and more regions are reporting local supply problems with petrol, diesel, and kerosene. The government in Moscow has yet to offer a solution.
Source: www.spiegel.de
