Authorities in Russia's Novosibirsk region acknowledged that a significant portion of gas stations in the region are not working, with long queues forming at those that remain open.
Deputy Governor Oleg Klemeshov described the fuel supply situation as "tense." He said that priority refueling had been organized in the morning for public, special and municipal services, ambulances and public transport at Gazprom Neft gas stations.
On the afternoon of July 4, nine Gazprom Neft stations in Novosibirsk, Berdsk and Iskitim will give priority for three hours to vehicles of emergency services operating around the clock. To increase the number of fuel dispensing points, the company has resumed operations at some unmanned stations with remote control.
Klemeshov claimed that public transport and all municipal services are operating normally.
Fuel problems in the Novosibirsk region began in late June. Some gas stations began limiting gasoline sales to 40 liters per person, then suspended sales to private individuals entirely. According to local media, queues at Novosibirsk gas stations have been observed for several days. Drivers have created chat groups to track stations where fuel is still available and are discussing converting cars to gas.
By early July, the price of AI-95 gasoline at some stations had reached 140 rubles per liter. For comparison, in May the average price across Russia, according to Rosstat, was about 70 rubles per liter.
The fuel crisis has affected not only the Novosibirsk region. According to calculations by The Insider, by late June restrictions on fuel sales and disruptions in gasoline and diesel were recorded in at least 88 of Russia's 89 controlled regions. RBC reports that the number of regions with some form of fuel sales measures has approached 60. In some regions, including Zabaikalsky Krai, Irkutsk and Penza oblasts, a high-alert regime has been introduced. In Sevastopol, gasoline is dispensed via QR codes, with a limit of 20 liters per vehicle.
Regional authorities explain the disruptions in various ways: panic buying, seasonal consumption increases, refinery repairs and logistics problems. At the same time, the governors of Irkutsk and Kemerovo oblasts publicly linked the restrictions to Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries. The Insider previously noted that regular attacks on refineries coincided with a period of high seasonal demand and planned maintenance.
Amid the shortage, Russian authorities are discussing importing petroleum products. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak ordered oil companies to increase gasoline and diesel supplies to the domestic market. The government has allowed the circulation of outdated Euro-3 fuel with higher sulfur content until the end of the year. According to Reuters, Russia has already purchased at least 60,000 tons of gasoline from India and is negotiating with Kazakhstan, and is also preparing to buy a batch of Japanese aviation fuel.