The local administration of Gelendzhik published a list of operating gas stations, with AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline available at only one — in the village of Arkhipo-Osipovka. By Friday evening, as Important Stories (Vazhnye Istorii) found, fuel had run out there as well.
At the remaining stations, only diesel fuel was available, and some outlets sold it exclusively to holders of fuel cards. Queues at certain stations number in the hundreds of cars, Ostorozhno Novosti reported, with some drivers waiting more than 16 hours.
The fuel deficit has been recorded across Russia since the start of summer. The Energy Ministry cited attacks by Ukrainian drones on fuel and energy infrastructure as the main cause of the disruptions. Reports of gasoline shortages have come in from nearly all regions, including Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Authorities have introduced restrictions on fuel sales per person and bans on selling fuel into canisters. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak ordered a review of scheduled maintenance plans at oil refineries to reduce the risk of shrinking market supply. The government also extended the ban on gasoline and diesel exports until January 31, 2027.
According to Reuters, drone attacks that halted major refineries in central Russia cost the country about a quarter of its total gasoline production by mid-June. Data from the service GdeBENZ showed that as of August 16, gasoline or diesel was available at only 28.1% of stations nationwide, down from 41% a week earlier.