Moscow Gas Stations Impose Fuel Limits as Russian Shortage Deepens
Moscow gas stations are rationing gasoline and diesel as a widening fuel shortage puts pressure on Russia’s capital, while authorities scramble to redirect supplies from other regions.
Several major gas station chains in Moscow have imposed fuel limits, as the country grapples with an increasing fuel shortage. Gazprom Neft is selling up to 40 liters of fuel per vehicle, while Tatneft has set limits of 50 liters for gasoline and 60 liters for diesel. AI-95 gasoline is particularly scarce, with prices soaring as high as 120 rubles per liter. Many stations operated by Gazprom, Rosneft, NefteMagistral, Teboil, and other chains have run out of fuel.
The fuel scarcity is not limited to Moscow, spreading to at least 10 regions across Russia, including Orenburg, Lipetsk, Tver, Krasnodar, Primorsky, and Krasnoyarsk. Russian energy officials have discussed fuel supplies in these regions, and some authorities have reinstated or tightened fuel sales limits to cope with the crisis.
The Kremlin is attempting to alleviate the shortage in Moscow by redirecting gasoline from eastern Russia to the capital. However, this action is exacerbating the fuel shortage in other regions, where a second wave of shortages is already reported. Russia's refining capacity is severely damaged, with at least 26 refineries shut down, seven still offline at the end of July, and four more shut down in August.
Russian oil refining is at a record low of about 3.6 million barrels per day, significantly below the seasonal average.
The fuel crisis could worsen in early September when several major refineries are scheduled for maintenance, including Belarus’ Novopolotsk refinery. Several major Russian refineries are also expected to undergo maintenance around the same time, further straining the already fragile fuel supply.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
