Russia faces severe diesel shortages as Ukrainian drone attacks cripple refineries

The war in Ukraine is increasingly impacting ordinary Russian citizens far from the front lines. Ukraine's long-range drone attacks on Russian oil refineries have triggered significant fuel shortages, leading to gasoline sales restrictions and long queues at gas stations, even hundreds of kilometers from combat zones.

Independent analysts estimate that the recent wave of attacks has disabled over 20% of the country's refining capacity. In the past week alone, Ukrainian drones repeatedly struck one of Moscow's main refineries, which supplies over a third of the capital's and its metropolitan area's fuel. The International Energy Agency has described the situation as an unprecedented production disruption in the conflict's history.

The consequences are spreading across a vast portion of Russia. Fuel sales restrictions are affecting 53 regions, including occupied Ukrainian territories, Crimea, Siberia, and the Arctic. In many areas, drivers face limits on the amount of gasoline they can purchase to prevent hoarding. Crimean authorities have suspended fuel sales to individuals to prioritize essential services, as drones have repeatedly targeted fuel tankers supplying the peninsula.

Social media is filled with videos of drivers reporting hours-long waits for refueling. Experts point out that Ukraine is targeting Russia's most modern and strategic refineries, which rely on Western technology that is difficult to replace due to sanctions. If these 10 to 15 key refineries are hit, a crisis is deemed inevitable, as the Kremlin struggles to contain a problem that threatens to bring the economic cost of the war directly into the daily lives of Russian citizens.