In Volgograd, on August 13, a court fined Tatyana Smetanko 10,000 rubles for participating in a collective video appeal to Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Investigative Committee, recorded on July 16 at a city gas station. The police deemed the recording an unsanctioned mass event, leading to charges under Part 5 of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code, according to Mediazona.
Four other people were detained after the recording, including lawyer Alexei Sevastyanov and two female residents of Volgograd. Sevastyanov was additionally charged with disobeying police (Article 19.3) and sentenced to five days of arrest, per Mediazona.
In Perm, on August 17, a court fined activist Lev Samolovskikh 10,000 rubles, reported the local branch of the unregistered party Rassvet. The police filed a report against him after he submitted a notice to the city administration for a rally on July 26, in which he stated he wanted to express his opinion about the shortage of automotive fuel in retail, rising prices, and ways out of the situation.
In mid-August, Russia is experiencing a second wave of fuel shortages and queues at gas stations. Authorities have banned exports of gasoline, diesel, and other fuels, and lowered fuel production standards from Euro-5 to Euro-2.