Fuel Crisis Grips 20 Russian Regions After Refinery Strikes

(MOSCOW) – Fuel shortages are spreading across Russia, including the capital Moscow and St. Petersburg, after a sustained Ukrainian drone campaign against the country’s oil industry.

More than 20 Russian regions have introduced restrictions on fuel sales at petrol stations. The limits affect major domestic chains and come as the Kremlin struggles to shield critical infrastructure from aerial attacks.

The shortages have been driven by a series of successful Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries, export terminals and fuel depots across the Russian Federation throughout the first half of 2026.

In the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory of Crimea, authorities initially introduced a coupon system to ration daily petrol purchases for individuals. This measure has now failed, and ordinary sales have been halted. Local residents have resorted to gallows humour about needing horses and donkeys for transport, a reflection of the degradation typical of areas under Russian control.

The crisis intensified this week during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an event intended to showcase Russia’s investment potential. The spectacle was overshadowed when Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in the city and a naval corvette.

The attack was described by commentators as one of the most serious public humiliations in the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s political career.

Russian state propagandists have inadvertently conceded the shifting momentum, with one remarking on air that it feels like Ukraine is the country conducting a successful special military operation. This observation contrasts with Moscow’s failing war economy, where Kyiv’s strategy focuses on systematically neutralising strategic industrial sites.

In 2023, a successful strike on one or two depots was celebrated. Now, in 2026, entire regional production networks are being disabled. The current fuel deficit in many regions is directly linked to repeated strikes on facilities such as the Ryazan oil refinery, one of the largest in the country. Moscow’s refinery and multiple plants in the Krasnodar region have also been switched off, creating a cumulative effect that is now fuelling a nationwide crisis.

The shortages are particularly acute during the summer months when domestic consumption traditionally rises due to internal tourism. Many Russians, already isolated internationally for their support of the invasion of Ukraine, cannot afford or access foreign travel. The situation in Crimea is especially dire, with the peninsula becoming impossible to reach or leave for ordinary citizens due to the sales ban.

In Moscow, St. Petersburg, Belgorod, Pskov, Rostov and many other cities, the reality of a fuel crisis has set in. The farming season, which will require even more fuel, has yet to begin. A vast amount of available fuel continues to be consumed by the Russian army’s tanks, armoured vehicles and missile systems.

Facing a domestic deficit, the Kremlin is likely to repeat an export ban policy, similar to one imposed in 2025. Such a move fails to solve internal problems and cuts off crucial income for a resource dependent state. Russia has attempted to refine its crude oil into higher value products, but this capability is being systematically degraded as refineries continue to explode.