Petrol Availability Drops Below 30% Across Russia Amid Fuel Shortages

A monitoring application indicated that petrol was available at just 28% of Russian filling stations on Wednesday, down from 41% a week earlier, prompting queues at pumps in Moscow for the first time. Restrictions such as per-customer volume limits, QR-code rationing and odd-even licence plate rules are now in effect in most regions, according to a tracking service.

In Moscow, Gazprom Neft stations capped sales at 40 litres per fill-up, while Tatneft limited petrol to 50 litres and diesel to 60 litres. Yandex Fuel data showed AI-92 petrol at only one in ten stations in the capital.

The shortages follow a sustained Ukrainian drone campaign targeting Russian oil infrastructure, which has hit every major refinery at least once since early July. In the first two weeks of August, attacks damaged facilities in Yaroslavl, Bashkortostan and the port of Ust-Luga, reducing operational refining capacity by an estimated 54% nationwide. Daily output fell to 75,000-80,000 tonnes in July, well below summer demand of 115,000-120,000 tonnes.

President Vladimir Putin described the situation as “non-critical” but acknowledged damage from the attacks.

"There are no critical consequences from such attacks, there have been none and there cannot be any. But they do, of course, cause us damage; that is obvious, we understand it, we see it and we know it," he said.

Russia has banned petrol and diesel exports and increased rail imports from Belarus, Kazakhstan and, for the first time, Morocco. However, large volumes of imported fuel remain stalled in Murmansk due to price disputes between suppliers and regulators. A further supply gap is expected in September when a Belarusian refinery undergoes scheduled maintenance.

Retail prices have risen sharply, with petrol averaging 70 roubles per litre in the first half of 2026 and diesel up more than 12%; some regions report prices exceeding 100 roubles per litre. The Federal Antimonopoly Service opened 41 cases against oil companies for price violations.

To address the deficit, the government re-authorized the production, import and sale of lower-grade Euro-2, Euro-3 and Euro-4 petrol for almost a year, despite higher emissions and potential engine wear. Trading of these grades began on the St Petersburg exchange.

Authorities have also detained and fined individuals who publicly complained about the shortages, including five residents in Volgograd and a solo protester in Perm.