Residents of Krasnodar Krai have begun reporting fuel shortages at gas stations, the outlet Govorit NeMoskva reported, citing posts in local Telegram channels.
In Krasnodar, residents say many stations have run out of AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline, with lines forming at some locations. Shortages have also been reported in Anapa, where locals say residents of occupied Crimea — where a fuel crisis continues — are traveling to fill up.
Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev addressed the reports on the evening of June 8, attributing the situation to panic buying. Because of the “difficult situation” in neighboring regions, he said, “many people decided to stock up on gasoline, which created artificial panic buying.” He insisted there is no gasoline shortage in Krasnodar Krai.
“Temporary supply difficulties are being observed primarily at small private gas stations; fuel is available at most large chain stations. Given the spike in demand, suppliers are quickly optimizing logistics to prevent long-term supply disruptions. The situation is under control. I ask that you trust only official sources of information,” the governor said.
Since early June, residents in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the Belgorod, Kursk, Leningrad, and Moscow regions, among others, have reported fuel shortages at gas stations. The disruptions have come amid Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries.
The most acute shortages in recent days have been reported in occupied Crimea. They began after Ukrainian forces targeted fuel trucks and other vehicles supplying the peninsula via the R-280 Novorossiya highway, which connects Crimea to Russia’s Rostov region. Cash purchases of gasoline have been completely banned on the peninsula.
On June 8, Russia’s Energy Ministry acknowledged that the supply disruptions were caused by Ukrainian drone attacks. “Recently, enterprises in the fuel and energy sector have been facing an increase in enemy air attacks, which has led to temporary difficulties with fuel deliveries in a number of southern regions,” the ministry said.
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