Fuel Rationing Spreads to Moscow and St. Petersburg
Kyiv Post • • world
Key Points:
- Russia’s largest oil networks, including Tatneft, Rosneft, and Lukoil, have imposed fuel rationing protocols across major cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, limiting gasoline and diesel sales per vehicle to manage a domestic fuel deficit.
- Tatneft has enforced strict caps of 20 liters for AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline and 40 liters for diesel fuel nationwide, while Rosneft and Lukoil have set higher but still limited maximum sales per transaction.
- The fuel shortage is primarily due to a series of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Russian oil refineries, pipelines, and storage facilities, which have forced several refineries to halt operations and significantly reduced Russia’s domestic refining capacity.
- The Russian government has responded with protectionist measures, including bans on jet fuel and gasoline exports, aiming to stabilize internal supply despite challenges from disrupted transport infrastructure and limited ability to benefit from high global crude prices.
- Initially, rationing was limited to occupied territories but has since expanded to Russia’s central regions, reflecting the deepening impact of ongoing military strikes on the country’s fuel availability.
