Russia is facing a deepening fuel crisis as Ukrainian drone strikes have left gas stations dry in several regions, forcing motorists into long lines and prompting officials to impose rationing or halt sales entirely. The latest wave of attacks, concentrated between August 2 and August 24, 2025, has disrupted oil refineries across southwestern Russia, from Ryazan to Volgograd, pushing wholesale A-95 gas prices on the St Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange to a staggering 50% above January levels. With farmers rushing to harvest and vacationers clogging roads, the timing couldn’t be worse, exacerbating shortages in the Far East, Crimea, and the Kuril Islands.

In Primorye, bordering North Korea, locals are grappling with pump prices soaring to 78 rubles per liter (about USD 3.58 per gallon), while black-market sales online have spiked to 220 rubles per liter (USD 10.12 per gallon). The Kurilsky district has gone further, banning public A-92 gas sales, and in Crimea, fuel is now restricted to coupon or card holders. Experts like Sergey Vakulenko from the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center note that these targeted strikes hit a critical arc of refineries, disrupting travel to Black Sea resorts and agricultural hubs, where demand is peaking.

The damage isn’t total destruction but strategic disruption, with refineries losing 200,000 to 250,000 barrels of crude oil processing daily, according to oil markets analyst Gary Peach of Energy Intelligence. This has slashed gasoline production by 8.6% and diesel by 10.3% in early August compared to last year. Beyond the drones, transportation disruptions and inflation—discouraging suppliers from stockpiling—have compounded the crisis. Russia’s response includes a July 28 export ban, extended into September, and urgent meetings with oil executives, yet the government faces a delicate balance.

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While Moscow remains insulated thanks to nearby refineries in Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod, remote regions bear the brunt. Diesel, vital for buses, trucks, and the military, remains abundant, cushioning broader economic collapse. However, the vulnerability of key refinery equipment, like distillation columns, poses long-term risks, especially if repairs require sanctioned foreign parts. As summer demand wanes by late September and maintenance wraps up, relief may come, but the evolving drone warfare hints at future exploitation of this weakness, keeping Russia on edge.

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