Russia has restricted gasoline sales and deployed the National Guard at gas stations
Several regions in Russia have imposed restrictions on the sale of gasoline and diesel fuel. At some gas stations, limits have been set on the amount of fuel per vehicle, and in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, the Russian National Guard and the police are monitoring compliance with the rules.
The restrictions were introduced amid fuel supply issues. In particular, the “Rosneft” gas station chain has set limits on gasoline sales. According to information from the Ministry of Economic Development of the Trans-Baikal Territory, published on the social media platform Max, drivers are allowed to purchase up to 30 liters of gasoline at Rosneft gas stations in cities. On highways, the limit is higher—up to 50 liters per vehicle.
Similar restrictions are in place in other parts of Russia. For example, in Karelia, local authorities announced limits on the sale of gasoline and diesel fuel. In addition, they have banned the sale of fuel in jerry cans there.
In the Nizhny Novgorod region, law enforcement agencies are monitoring compliance
Specific rules have been introduced in the Nizhny Novgorod region. There, a limit of 40 liters of gasoline per vehicle has been set. They have also banned the sale of fuel in containers. Furthermore, at gas stations near the region’s borders, they have restricted fuel sales to vehicles registered in other regions of Russia.
Representatives of the Russian Guard and the police, as well as volunteers, have been deployed to gas stations. They are tasked with ensuring compliance with the established restrictions and monitoring the situation at gas stations.
Amid the restrictions, drones attacked an oil refinery
Meanwhile, on the night of November 9, drones attacked the industrial zone of the city of Kirishi in the Leningrad Region. The Kirishi Oil Refinery (KINEF)—one of the largest enterprises in Russia’s oil refining industry—is located there. Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenco confirmed the strike on the industrial zone. At the same time, OSINT analysts from the ASTRA project, after analyzing video footage, reported a fire on the refinery’s premises.
The Kirish Oil Refinery is owned by Surgutneftegaz. Its capacity is estimated at approximately 20–21 million metric tons of crude oil per year. It is one of the key enterprises in Russia’s oil refining industry. Thus, restrictions on fuel sales in several regions of the Russian Federation coincided with an attack on one of Russia’s major oil refineries. However, the available data does not confirm that the strike on the refinery was the direct cause of the fuel purchase limits at gas stations. Russian media outlets are reporting on the situation.
Authorities in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region have imposed strict restrictions on gasoline sales following a successful attack by Ukrainian drones on the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnaftorgsintez (NORSI) oil refinery. Local gas stations have set a limit of 40 liters of fuel per vehicle and have completely banned the sale of gasoline in jerry cans.
Following the Ukrainian strikes, two major Russian oil refining enterprises have halted operations. These are the LUKOIL-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, and the NOVATEK-Ust-Luga complex in Leningrad Oblast.
In Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan, a drone attack sparked a fire at the “Bashneft-Novoyl” oil refinery. Local residents also claim that two facilities may have been hit simultaneously.
