Russian Lawmaker Says 30% of Refineries Are Down, Warning Fuel Crisis Could Hit September Vote
Updated
Updated · Meduza · Jul 2
Russian Lawmaker Says 30% of Refineries Are Down, Warning Fuel Crisis Could Hit September Vote
2 articles · Updated · Meduza · Jul 2
Summary
Nina Ostanina, a State Duma deputy, said nearly a third of Russia’s refineries are out of action and accused ministers of hiding the true scale of a worsening fuel crisis.
Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries have driven the shortage over the past month, with Ostanina warning the disruption could leave agriculture short of fuel on the eve of harvest.
Gas stations in the Vladimir and Moscow regions have no fuel, she said, while lines of freight trucks point to higher transport costs and rising prices for goods by fall.
Alexander Novak, the deputy prime minister, acknowledged shortages at some gas stations a day earlier but insisted the domestic market overall still has gasoline and diesel supplies.
Nearly all Russian regions have already imposed some fuel-sale restrictions, turning the shortage into a political risk ahead of September’s State Duma elections.
With elections looming and a third of its refineries down, can the Kremlin stop a fuel crisis from sparking political unrest?
As Ukrainian drone strikes cripple its oil industry, is Russia's war machine finally running out of fuel?
Russia’s 2026 Fuel Crisis: 25% Gasoline Production Drop, Wartime Strikes, and Sanctions Trigger Economic and Social Turmoil
Overview
In late June and early July 2026, Russia’s fuel crisis sharply intensified, causing immediate and widespread disruptions across the country. Citizens struggled to access gasoline, with long queues at filling stations becoming common and daily life severely affected. This crisis was driven by a dramatic reduction in domestic gasoline production, mainly due to targeted Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries. These strikes damaged critical infrastructure, especially fluid catalytic cracking units, which are essential for refining crude oil into gasoline. As a result, the fuel shortage deeply impacted personal mobility and created significant challenges for ordinary Russians.