Russia's fuel crisis deepens as drone attacks hit refineries nationwide

Russia is grappling with a severe fuel crisis, with shortages and rationing reported in almost all of its 83 regions. Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries have crippled gasoline production, which is now running at 20% below domestic demand, according to commodities intelligence firm Kpler. Refinery runs are at multi-year lows.

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We are currently seeing certain shortages, although they are not critical.

The crisis, which first escalated in Russian-controlled Crimea, has spread across Russia's 11 time zones. At least three regions have declared a "state of heightened alert." President Vladimir Putin acknowledged "certain shortages" but claimed they were "not critical." He also signaled Russia's vulnerability by stating the urgent task was to "rapidly and significantly increase production of the air defense systems."

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The key difference is the scale and persistence of the attacks.

Experts note the current situation is worse than previous fuel shortages due to the scale and persistence of Ukrainian attacks. Sergey Vakulenko, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, stated that Ukraine has increased both the frequency and number of drones used in recent weeks. The Russian oil industry's resilience is being "stretched dangerously thin."

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In this race between the repairers and the attackers the balance is shifting.

Gas stations are imposing limits on fuel purchases, and online trackers are helping drivers find stations with available fuel. The growing lines of cars are increasing tensions, with social media videos showing altercations at gas stations.

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The Russian oil industry’s resilience is being stretched dangerously thin.