Governor Vladislav Shapsha of the Kaluga region said that starting August 15, gasoline will be sold in the region only on alternating days of the month, depending on the last digit of a vehicle's license plate. Cars with plates ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 will be allowed to refuel on even days, and those ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 on odd days, Shapsha wrote on his Telegram channel.
Shapsha linked the decision to a deteriorating fuel market, renewed long queues at filling stations and the need for additional measures to stabilize the situation. Authorities in the Lipetsk region announced a similar system starting August 13.
According to BBC Russian, fuel shortages and long queues at gas stations are again being observed in many Russian regions. The press suggests a second wave of the fuel crisis has begun, caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries.
According to The Moscow Times, fuel sale limits were also introduced on August 13 in the Astrakhan and Irkutsk regions. In the Irkutsk region, the gas station chain KraisNeft limited sales of AI-92, AI-95 and AI-98 gasoline to 30 liters per vehicle, and no more than 20 liters into canisters. In Bodaibo, the limit on AI-92 is 20 liters no more than once a day, and AI-95 has not been on sale in the city since August 1.
Astrakhan Governor Igor Babushkin said the region's gas stations are switching to a limited schedule based on proposals from Lukoil and Gazprom. The limit will be up to 40 liters per vehicle. He called it a temporary measure that will reduce "seasonal and residual panic demand from the previous wave of restrictions."
Earlier in August, restrictions on free fuel sales were introduced in the Orenburg and Volgograd regions. In Orenburg, where Ukrainian drones knocked out the Orsknefteorgsintez refinery, the limit is 30 liters of AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline per customer, and up to 60 liters of diesel in populated areas and up to 200 liters on highways. In the Volgograd region, limits were reintroduced on August 1 — no more than 40 liters of gasoline per vehicle — the day after a drone strike on the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka refinery.