Russian regions reintroduce rationing after renewed Ukrainian refinery strikes

Fuel shortages are resurfacing in several Russian regions following Ukraine's renewed attacks on oil refineries, Bloomberg reported on August 14. Kaluga Oblast, neighboring Moscow Oblast, is set to implement a fuel rationing system starting Saturday, with vehicle access determined by license plate numbers. Astrakhan Oblast, situated along the Caspian Sea, plans to restrict fuel sales to 40 liters per vehicle and temporarily halt operations at several urban gas stations.

Orenburg Oblast had already introduced a similar rationing system earlier in the week, which includes fuel purchase limitations based on license plate numbers and bans on portable fuel can filling. Earlier this month, regions across Russia had either raised fuel purchase limits or lifted restrictions, with gasoline and diesel prices at gas stations declining.

However, renewed Ukrainian strikes are once again straining supplies, as Ukraine has targeted 11 of Russia’s 34 major oil refineries in August, according to Bloomberg calculations. Several regions close to Moscow or the Ukrainian border have warned of reduced fuel supplies after Ukrainian attacks damaged refineries supplying gasoline and diesel to European Russia.

Rosneft, a Russian energy giant, reduced gasoline supply limits to Kostroma Oblast following a strike on the Yaroslavl refinery on August 6. The governor of Voronezh Oblast also expressed concerns about worsening fuel supplies. Neighboring Lipetsk Oblast reinstated license plate-based rationing on August 13 at gas stations operated by Gazprom, Lukoil, Rosneft, and Teboil.

Fuel issues caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries have impacted at least 16 Russian regions, according to The Moscow Times. Russia has started importing gasoline from India, Kazakhstan, and Morocco amid the crisis, while the refining industry faces another negative record in August due to Ukrainian strikes. Production of petroleum products is not anticipated to return to normal levels even by 2026.

Russia's seaborne petroleum product exports fell by 54.7% year over year in July, with total shipments reaching 3.93 million metric tons.