A gasoline shortage has worsened in northwestern Russia due to attacks on oil refineries
The fuel crisis in Russia’s Leningrad Oblast has worsened following the shutdown of the “Kinef” oil refinery. The region’s governor, Alexander Drozdenco, stated that gasoline shortages could last at least until early October.
According to him, Ukrainian drone attacks have damaged Russian oil refineries, causing major oil companies to cut fuel supplies to their own gas stations. Independent gas station chains, Drozdenco claims, have effectively ceased operations.
Russian authorities are already considering imposing restrictions on gasoline sales. Among the proposed measures is allowing vehicles to refuel every other day based on the even or odd number of their license plate. The authorities also want to limit fuel sales to 20–30 liters per day.
“The enemy is testing our resilience,” Drozdzenko said, urging residents of the region to remain calm and treat the situation with understanding.
Fuel shortages in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast began to escalate last week. Dozens of gas stations experienced disruptions, and long lines formed at many of them for hours on end.
One of the causes was damage to the “Kinef” oil refinery following an attack by Ukrainian drones in late August. The plant halted oil refining on August 30 after both processing units were damaged.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak acknowledged that the country was facing a new wave of the fuel crisis. Russian authorities have ordered a review of refinery maintenance schedules and are considering increasing gasoline imports to cover the domestic shortage.
Recall that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated: Russia, as an aggressor state, will face a response if it launches attacks on the Ukrainian energy system this winter.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on the results of Ukrainian long-range strikes aimed at weakening Russia’s capacity to wage war against Ukraine. In particular, Ukrainian strikes hit targets in Dagestan and Udmurtia.
