Video: New lines at gas stations in St. Petersburg: Drivers are buying up fuel in droves
The fuel situation in St. Petersburg has worsened—long lines are forming at local gas stations, and they don’t disappear even at night. Local residents report seeing dozens of cars at gas stations.
According to eyewitnesses, drivers are arriving at gas stations even around midnight, fearing the situation will worsen further. At some stations, more than 40 cars are gathered at once, and at others, only diesel fuel remains available.
In particular, on September 9, locals counted more than 40 cars in line at one gas station in the Nevsky District of St. Petersburg. The next day, according to monitoring services, the situation had not improved—dozens of gas stations continued to operate with lines.
Fuel supply problems in Russia have worsened following a series of attacks on oil refineries. Due to the damage, some refineries were forced to reduce or suspend operations, creating an additional shortage in the domestic market.
News from the swamps. A second wave of the fuel crisis has begun in the Leningrad Region. Drivers are standing in kilometer-long lines. https://t.co/rBKzsvoXCs
— GLAVKOM (@GLAVCOM_UA) September 10, 2026
Amid fears of fuel shortages, Russian drivers are trying to fill up at the first opportunity, which is putting even more strain on gas stations. Now the consequences of the fuel problems are becoming increasingly noticeable even in a major city like St. Petersburg.
The day before, the Russian oil refinery “Kirishinefteorgsintez” in the Leningrad Region completely halted oil refining following a drone attack on August 30. According to Reuters, two primary refining units at the plant were damaged, and two others were not operating at the time of the strike.
Russia has reportedly restored 90% of the oil refining capacity damaged as a result of Ukrainian attacks. According to Vladimir Putin, about 10% of Russian refineries’ capacity remains damaged at this time.
