Russia Faces Renewed Petrol Crisis as Crimea Introduces Fuel Coupons

(SIMFEROPOL, OCCUPIED CRIMEA) – Russia is confronting a deepening petrol crisis as occupied Crimea introduces a coupon rationing system and oil refineries across the Russian Federation continue to burn following sustained Ukrainian drone strikes.

Anna from Ukraine, a widely followed war vlogger, reported that the Russian Federation is once again on the brink of a large scale petrol shortage, comparable to the crisis experienced in 2025. More and more Russian regions are reporting serious shortages of basic petrol. In temporarily occupied Crimea, occupation authorities have introduced coupons restricting purchases to no more than 20 litres per person per day.

“For decades Russia could easily be compared to a gas station with mafia at its top. And now the Kremlin wants to ban the export of gasoline again because their oil refineries keep exploding,” the vlogger stated. She noted that overnight strikes neutralised multiple facilities, including one of the largest refineries in the Saratov region, which continued to burn as she recorded.

The petrol shortage is compounded by Ukrainian fire control over the land route to Crimea. Ukrainian troops are now controlling a highway vital to the Russian occupiers, the land corridor connecting Rostov region to Crimea via occupied Donetsk region. The route was used for approximately 75 percent of logistics supplying the peninsula, including weapons and missiles for Russian forces stationed there. “Right now it is under full control of the Ukrainian drone operators,” Anna from Ukraine reported.

The vlogger described the introduction of coupons from 31 May as a significant development. The system applies to AI-95 and AI-92 petrol, the most popular grades, with a limit of 20 litres per person per day. Priority access is being given to regional communal services and public transport, with private car owners receiving fuel only afterwards. “This means that Crimea is preparing to return back home,” she said.

Strikes on Military Targets in Taganrog

In a separate operation, Ukrainian drones destroyed two Russian Tu-142 reconnaissance aircraft and an Iskander missile system at a military air base in Taganrog, Rostov region. The Tu-142 aircraft traditionally perform surveillance functions, coordinating strikes by Iskander systems against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

“Everyone in Ukraine knows how evil these missiles, how much destruction they can bring. So whenever we hear that one more system was neutralised, we always know this means a lot of innocent lives saved,” Anna from Ukraine stated.

She argued that the destruction of such systems may explain the absence of a major Russian missile attack on Kyiv. “The best way to bring lasting peace is to demilitarise Russia. This is the most humane and trustworthy way exactly what we are working on,” she added.

Refinery Strikes and Cumulative Impact

The vlogger detailed a strategy of systematically targeting clusters of oil refineries, first in central Russia and subsequently in southern regions. The Saratov refinery, which supplies multiple regions, was struck overnight. “It’s so good that now we do not even name one. There are a lot of them,” she remarked.

She warned that the cumulative effect is creating a petrol deficit across Russia, which could worsen during the summer months. The Kremlin is reportedly preparing to ban or severely restrict petrol exports. Diesel supplies are already down by 25 percent compared to the volumes typically available during this period.

The fuel shortages form part of a wider pattern of internal crises, the vlogger noted, including internet shutdowns, banking instability, and pressure for further mobilisation. “If they had a rational even dictator but just like rational dictator this war would have ended long ago,” she said, adding that growing numbers question the Russian dictator’s ability to perceive reality.

She referenced an internal power struggle between factions within the FSB seeking to preserve the regime and elements of the presidential administration allegedly considering a leadership change to deflect public anger.

Kyiv Marks 1,544 Years

The vlogger concluded her report by noting that Kyiv was celebrating its official founding anniversary. According to chronicles, the Ukrainian capital is 1,544 years old, though researchers believe the city is older. Moscow was first mentioned 665 years after Kyiv, she observed. “This messages about the elder brother Russia and the younger brother Ukraine is just total BS not only if you look at history but also if you look at they treat brothers,” Anna from Ukraine stated.