Authorities in Russia's Novosibirsk region declared a state of heightened alert on July 8 due to a fuel shortage, issuing a decree recommending that local companies switch employees to remote work and reduce gasoline consumption. Residents were asked to limit travel by personal car both within the region and beyond until the alert is lifted, which will remain in effect until further notice.
In the neighboring Tomsk region, the government recommended that officials hold more meetings online to save fuel, Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Olga Krylova said.
The fuel crisis has affected nearly all of Russia's regions. According to Deutsche Welle, the shortage emerged after Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries, forcing them to reduce or halt production entirely.
Gasoline sales on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange halved in a week to 8,100 metric tons — the lowest volume in the exchange's history, the outlet 7x7 reported. Volumes are falling as authorities try to move private networks to direct contracts with oil traders, bypassing the exchange.
The most severe situation is in the Trans-Baikal region, where drivers reported waiting in lines for several days. Tensions are also high in Irkutsk, where the mayor similarly asked organizations to consider switching to remote work. Authorities in the Irkutsk region are studying the possibility of introducing electronic queues at gas stations so drivers can book a refueling time in advance, Governor Igor Kobzev said.
The Vologda and Pskov regions, as well as Karelia, show the highest level of 'fuel anxiety' according to social media data, 7x7 reported. In the Penza region, the regional operator stopped collecting garbage in seven districts on July 3 due to a diesel fuel shortage and Rosneft's refusal to fuel garbage trucks. Farmers in the Altai Republic are forced to stand in lines at gas stations at night alongside utility workers, for whom no preferences were made.
In many regions, authorities have introduced limits on gasoline sales and taken other measures to combat queues, including deploying Rosgvardia (National Guard) and police at gas stations. According to T-Bank data, as of July 9, six Russian regions had no gas stations with available gasoline: Kabardino-Balkaria, Ingushetia, Chechnya, Dagestan, the Magadan region, and Chukotka.