Russian Regions Slowly Reimpose Fuel Purchase Limits Amid Ongoing Refinery Attacks
A growing number of Russian regions have recently seen the reintroduction of fuel rationing measures to combat shortages of gasoline and diesel caused by Ukrainian drone strikes against major oil refineries throughout the country.
In the Kaluga region southwest of Moscow, Governor Vladislav Shapsha announced the return of an odd-even system based on vehicle license plate numbers and a ban on sales into portable canisters starting Wednesday.
“The lines [at gas stations] are back. This causes reasonable frustration,” Shapsha wrote on Telegram.
In Siberia’s Zabaikalsky region, authorities announced a cap of 15 liters (4 gallons) per vehicle on AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline grades across 48 gas stations.
Fuel reserves in the region stood at 17,000 metric tons, which are expected to run out in 20 days.
Zabaikalsky’s regional government stressed that 106 out of its 249 functioning gas stations were selling fuel without any restrictions.
Both announcements follow Ukrainian drone attacks on three key Russian oil refineries in Moscow, Samara and Ufa over the last three days. The Ukrainian military claimed this week that it has knocked out more than 45% of Russia’s refining capacity.
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