Moscow fuel queues grow as low-grade gasoline imports begin
The BBC reported that on 21 August long queues formed at Moscow petrol stations as authorities began importing lower-grade gasoline and promoted patriotic events amid a fresh wave of shortages. Earlier in August, Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries triggered purchase caps and an odd-even licence-plate system in at least a dozen regions, according to Meduza. Euronews confirmed that the strikes caused new gasoline shortages and that a monitoring app showed only about 28% of stations were operational. NBC noted that tighter sales controls were imposed across ten regions.
The Moscow Times said Gazprom Neft and Tatneft reinstated caps on gasoline and diesel sales while the government extended an export ban. The Guardian reported that Russia started receiving gasoline shipments from India and arranging rail imports. The Institute for the Study of War quoted President Vladimir Putin saying the economy grew modestly while fuel availability fell to roughly 28% of stations, prompting emergency deployments and legal changes ahead of September parliamentary elections.
