Gasoline began to run out near Moscow following attacks on three oil refineries

In Russian regions near Moscow, the gasoline supply situation is deteriorating following attacks on key oil refineries that supply fuel to the Moscow region.

The biggest problems are being reported in Kaluga. According to the “GdeBenz” service, about 40% of gas stations there closed during the week of September 19–25. Just a week earlier, nearly 80% of gas stations were operating without disruptions or lines. Lines formed at one in five gas stations, and in some places, more than 100 cars were waiting for gasoline at the same time.

Starting September 23, the Kaluga region also reinstated alternate-day gas station operations based on the first digit of a vehicle’s license plate number. Signs of a shortage are also evident in Tula and Ryazan—at approximately 40% of gas stations, gasoline is unavailable, or drivers are forced to wait in lines. The situation has also worsened in Vladimir.

In September, following drone strikes, production was halted or scaled back at three major refineries: the Ryazan Refinery on September 6, Yaroslavnefteorgsintez on September 17, and Gazprom Neft’s Moscow Refinery on September 20.

Among Russian cities with populations over one million, Nizhny Novgorod has the lowest fuel availability, according to “GdeBenz.” The Lukoil refinery (NORS) located there was attacked on August 26 and halted production. According to Reuters sources, the facility is currently operating at reduced capacity.

Earlier, the Kremlin responded to a proposal for a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin at the G20.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has not yet made a decision regarding his participation in the Group of Twenty summit and, accordingly, regarding a meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.