Russia Was Unable to Reduce Its Fuel Shortage Through Imports, According to the Center for Policy Analysis
The Ukrainian Defense Forces’ massive strikes on Russian oil refineries continue to exacerbate the fuel crisis in Russia. Following the destruction of the country’s largest facilities, gasoline imports are no longer sufficient to compensate for the losses, and the projected fuel shortage could reach nearly one million metric tons per month.
According to Kovalenko, Ukrainian attacks have led to the shutdown or significant disruption of operations at a number of strategically important Russian oil refineries.
Among them are:
- the Omsk Oil Refinery;
- the Moscow Oil Refinery;
- TANECO in Nizhnekamsk;
- Kstovo Oil Refinery;
- Yaroslavl Oil Refinery;
- “Kirishinaftorgsintez”;
- Ryazan Oil Refinery;
- Kuibyshev Oil Refinery;
- Volgograd Oil Refinery;
- Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery.
Following the attack on the Omsk Oil Refinery, which is the largest in Russia, the daily gasoline shortage could reach 30,600 metric tons, amounting to approximately 918,000 metric tons per month.
Kovalenko emphasized that fuel imports are not capable of compensating for such losses.
“Imports don’t help Russia at all. Even when added together, all known import shipments amount to one-time deliveries of 50,000–60,000 metric tons, not a regular monthly flow,” he noted.
According to the head of the CPD, even 50,000 metric tons of imported gasoline is not enough to meet the Russian market’s needs.
“Even 50,000 metric tons is less than half of the country’s daily demand (110,000 metric tons per day). Demand will also grow in August and September,” Kovalenko emphasized.
He added that imported supplies can cover only a small portion of the projected shortage, while the gap between supply and demand risks approaching one million metric tons of fuel per month.
The Center for Countering Disinformation believes that further reductions in Russian refining capacity will only exacerbate the gasoline shortage. The problem may become particularly acute ahead of the seasonal surge in demand in late summer and early fall.
This was stated by Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation.
Russians’ spending on automotive fuel at the end of June rose by more than 15% compared to the same period last year. These figures were released by “SberIndex,” which analyzes the non-cash spending of Sberbank customers.
As a reminder, amid a severe heat wave, residents of the temporarily occupied Crimea have been without a stable water supply for two weeks now. At the same time, the occupying authorities cannot agree on a single version of the fuel shortage situation: officials are citing different dates for when gasoline will become available again. Only the so-called “energy minister” of the occupying administration has acknowledged that no significant improvement should be expected in the near future.
The fuel crisis in Crimea has worsened: a chronicle of the return to home port.
As a reminder, the fuel shortage in Crimea has triggered a wave of mass layoffs and business closures.
Earlier, the Russian presidential administration sent special “recommendations” to state-run and pro-government media outlets regarding how exactly to report on the fuel shortage in the country.
The fuel crisis is also intensifying in Russia: gasoline is running out at gas stations and lines are growing.
Russia has allowed the use of lower-quality gasoline due to the fuel crisis.
