Russia imports fuel as Ukrainian attacks hit refineries

Russia, once a dominant energy supplier, is now importing fuel as Ukrainian attacks cripple its refining capacity. Vice Prime Minister Alexander Novak confirmed the imports, attributing refinery disruptions to scheduled maintenance. However, the simultaneous "maintenance" across multiple critical refineries raises questions.

Kyiv Post reports that Ukraine's asymmetric campaign has significantly impacted Russian refineries and depots, drastically cutting production and straining gasoline supply for domestic demand. This marks a stark reversal from Russia's past use of energy as a coercive tool against Ukraine and its Western allies.

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Russia has begun to import fuel.

The fuel crisis is now palpable in Moscow, with Reuters witnessing queues stretching up to a kilometer. Some stations are closed, while others offer only diesel. Drivers report hours-long waits and visits to multiple stations before finding fuel. Major oil companies like Rosneft and Gazprom Neft have imposed rationing, limiting purchases per vehicle. Lukoil also cited high demand and "unscheduled refinery maintenance" for its restrictions.

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We have suffered a lot in the first stint with the soft tire, with a balance that I didn't like, I was losing distance. With the hard tire it was quite better, quite faster.