A brilliant campaign by Ukrainian drones has triggered unprecedented chaos in the domestic market of the aggressor country. Due to a severe fuel shortage, Russian drivers are panicking, and the authorities are forced to resort to dubious силові methods to guard gas stations and urgently seek help from abroad.
Strikes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine have paralyzed the Russian Federation’s oil refining industry
Due to regular strikes by Ukrainian drones on the largest Russian oil refineries, gasoline production in Russia has collapsed to 65% of normal. The destruction of critical infrastructure in the Russian Federation has led to a sharp fuel deficit precisely during the period of peak summer consumption. Russian drivers are panicking and hoarding gasoline, causing real chaos at gas stations across the country.
This is reported by Reuters.
Consequences of Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries
According to industry sources, the attacks by Ukrainian drones have halted the operations of the largest gasoline producers in the Russian Federation – the NORSI, Omsk, and Saratov refineries. As a result, the daily fuel deficit in the Russian market currently stands at 40 to 45 thousand tons, or about 35%. In June, this deficit figure was around 25%, but the situation continues to deteriorate rapidly.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak publicly acknowledged that the fuel situation remains complex and causes serious concern among the population. Huge queues have formed at gas stations in many Russian regions due to fuel shortages. For example, in the Black Sea resort town of Anapa, the authorities even involved Cossacks to maintain public order at gas stations.
How Russia is trying to save the situation
To overcome the large-scale crisis, the Russian government is considering a complete ban on the export of diesel, gasoline, and aviation fuel. At the same time, Moscow is forced to urgently import oil products from other countries to cover its own needs. In particular, supplies of gasoline and diesel from neighboring Belarus reached record volumes in June – up to 6 thousand tons per day.
In addition, information has emerged that last week Russia began purchasing fuel from India and is delivering it by sea. Representatives of the oil industry hope that the market situation may improve slightly in the second half of July when the plants come out of maintenance. However, this optimistic forecast assumes a complete absence of new destructive attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian refineries, so experts will likely have to adjust it.
Recall that on Friday, July 10, fires again broke out in Russia near two major oil refining enterprises – the Moscow Refinery in Kapotnya and the Nizhnekamsk Refinery in Tatarstan. Both facilities are strategic enterprises of the Russian fuel and energy complex.
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