Anger is growing in Russia over lengthy lines at gas stations nationwide, with Vladimir Putin forced to acknowledge a fuel crisis in a rare public admission of weakness.
More than four years into the Russian president’s invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv’s relentless attacks on Putin’s oil refineries are being felt across the country. Russia, one of the world’s largest oil producers, has struggled to produce enough fuel to meet domestic demand. Meanwhile, wholesale fuel prices have risen, and rationing has been introduced in several regions.
Videos posted to social media show motorists waiting in lengthy lines to refuel their vehicles in the nation’s capital, Moscow, as shortages spread. In interviews with BBC News, Muscovites described their growing frustration over the situation.
According to BBC News, there were lines of cars and lorries at almost every gas station, and if there was no line, “that meant the garage had run out of fuel entirely and was closed.”
One Russian, Yekaterina, said she was “not happy” and that there was “panic because everybody thinks there will be no oil.”
Another, Elmar, described the situation as “very bad,” saying fuel prices were climbing while supplies dwindled.
“You are wasting hours to fill up,” he said. “At the moment I am planning a trip to Dagestan, but I don’t know if I should drive there or not because there are so many problems with petrol.”
Reflecting on the political sensitivity surrounding the crisis, he added: “In our country, you can’t say what is to blame and who is to blame.”
Another motorist, Valery, said it was bizarre that there was a lack of fuel in one of the world’s largest oil-producing countries.
“I have no desire to get used to queues,” he said. “I hope the situation will change soon and won’t be continued.”
Russia’s energy industry remains central to the country’s economy. Oil exports and the broader energy sector account for about 30 percent of Russia’s budget revenues and play a critical role in financing the war in Ukraine. According to Statista, Russia is the world’s third-largest oil producer, accounting for more than 12 percent of global crude oil production.
The industry has also faced sustained pressure from Western sanctions imposed following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022.
On Monday, Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s largest oil refinery in Omsk for the first time. Located about 1,500 miles from the Ukrainian border, the attack suggests that roughly 85 percent of Russia’s oil refining capacity now lies within range of Ukrainian drones, according to Agentstvo, an independent Russian investigative outlet.
Putin admitted in June that Ukraine’s attacks on his oil refineries have resulted in Russia facing a “certain shortage” of fuel.
“As for strikes against critical infrastructure in general, and energy infrastructure in particular, of course, these attacks on our infrastructure facilities create problems,” the Russian leader said in an interview published by the Kremlin. “That’s obvious.”
“Right now we’re observing a certain shortage, but it’s not critical,” Putin added.
The Daily Beast has contacted Russia’s Foreign Ministry for comment.
