Russia Punishes Fuel Shortage Protesters as Fuel Crisis Worsens

Russian authorities are penalizing protesters over gasoline shortages as the supply crisis persists nationwide. On July 16, five Volgograd residents submitted a video petition to the Russian Investigative Committee Chairman, expressing concerns over the fuel shortage in the city. According to Russian news outlet V1.ru, the residents accused city officials of using fuel cards to fuel their vehicles while ordinary citizens faced restrictions on gasoline purchases.

Police classified the video recording as an "unauthorized public event" and arrested all five participants. One of them, lawyer Alexei Sevastyanov, received a five-day detention for allegedly resisting police. Another participant faced a 10,000 ruble ($118) fine for participating in what authorities deemed a mass protest.

A similar incident occurred in Perm, where resident Lev Samolovskikh was fined 10,000 rubles for organizing a rally and "expressing his opinion on the shortage of retail fuel." Despite Samolovskikh notifying the city administration about his protest plans and promoting it on a Telegram channel with 44 subscribers, authorities charged him with "illegal campaigning."

These cases unfold as a new wave of gasoline shortages has emerged across Russia, with at least 10 regions tightening fuel sales controls. The issue stems from a series of drone attacks on oil refineries, which intensified in May and spread to nearly all regions by July. The situation initially improved at the end of July following the government's initiative to boost domestic supplies, including a ban on gasoline and diesel exports, reduced quality standards for some petroleum products, and increased imports.

However, fuel supplies have again faced pressure due to drone attacks on refineries in late July and early August. Russian energy officials discussed fuel supplies in regions such as Orenburg, Lipetsk, Tver, Krasnodar, Zabaykalsky, Primorsky, Krasnoyarsk, Oryol, Tuva, and Khakassia, with restrictions reintroduced or tightened in some areas.

The latest disruptions are further exacerbated by refinery shutdowns and increased seasonal demand during summer. Wholesale market data indicates a decline in gasoline sales on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange, with a 20% drop since the beginning of August compared to the second half of July. Russian oil refining has plummeted to its lowest level since May 2002, at 3.6 million barrels per day, though recent recovery to over 4 million barrels per day remains 30% below seasonal norms.

The government's efforts to mitigate refinery disruptions have temporarily stabilized the market, but recent restrictions highlight the vulnerability of Russia's fuel supply to further attacks and refinery outages. The crisis may worsen in early September when Belarus' Novopolotsk refinery, a major supplier to Russia, undergoes maintenance, as well as scheduled maintenance for several large Russian refineries.