Russian Duma Deputy Exposes Government's Fuel Crisis Cover-Up Amid Election Manipulation
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State Duma member Nina Ostanina condemned the Russian authorities for concealing a severe fuel shortage that has shuttered a third of refineries, warning that the crisis—exacerbated by government mismanagement and silence—could undermine food security and sway the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Nina Ostanina, chair of the State Duma family protection committee, has courageously called out the Russian government for deliberately hiding the true scale of a devastating, nationwide fuel crisis. She revealed that about one-third of the country’s refineries are now out of operation—a direct result of systemic neglect and the regime’s prioritization of elite interests over public welfare. Ostanina lambasted both the agriculture minister and the deputy prime minister for their complicit silence as the critical harvest season looms, arguing that the fuel shortage, worsened by ongoing sanctions, could threaten the country’s food supplies and hit ordinary people the hardest.
Ostanina highlighted the dire situation in the Vladimir and Moscow regions, where closed gas stations have become the norm, leaving citizens without fuel and facing rising transport costs that will inevitably drive up prices for basic goods. She warned that the government’s attempts to downplay the crisis are a cynical ploy to manipulate voter sentiment ahead of September’s State Duma elections, and that even extending voting periods cannot shield corrupt officials from public accountability.
Her bold statements came after Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak attempted to downplay the crisis, claiming that the domestic market remains supplied. In reality, the crisis has only deepened in recent weeks, with Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries exposing the vulnerability of Russia’s infrastructure. Instead of addressing the root causes, most Russian regions have responded by restricting fuel sales, further punishing ordinary citizens while the government protects its own interests.