Local shortages of certain types of fuel are emerging in many regions of Russia after Ukrainian drone attacks reduced production at refineries, and high interest rates are making it difficult for independent gas stations to maintain supplies. This is reported by fuel traders and operators, quoted by "Reuters".
Kiev has intensified attacks on refineries and export terminals, aiming to limit Moscow's oil revenues, provoke discontent among the population and put pressure on the Kremlin for peace talks.
According to sources, fuel production has fallen by nearly a fifth in separate days, and exports through key ports have been reduced, putting Russia on the verge of cutting oil production. Although the country has a significant surplus of diesel, gasoline production usually barely covers domestic needs, making the system vulnerable to a decline in refining.
The popular brands of gasoline A-92 and A-95 are already missing in places, with the first problems arising in August in the Russian Far East and Crimea. The shortage is now affecting the Volga region, as well as southern and central Russia.
Independent gas stations, which supply about 40% of the market, are particularly vulnerable - they are not getting enough fuel and cannot maintain inventory at the current interest rates of 17%. The facilities of the major oil companies continue to operate almost normally.
"The manager decided to temporarily close the gas station because there was no gas", says an employee at a facility in the Belgorod region. "The station in the neighboring village also closed, and others simply ran out of fuel."
The authorities assure that these are temporary difficulties. Nizhny Novgorod Governor Gleb Nikitin said on Telegram that the cause was logistical problems, and that supplies would be restored "in the coming days."
The crisis comes amid a slowdown in the Russian economy, rising bankruptcies and a decline in exports after the country has endured Western sanctions for years.