Fuel shortages have returned to at least 10 Russian regions in August 2026, driven by a fresh wave of Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries. The disruptions have triggered regional rationing, pushed up trucking and import costs, and forced authorities to secure seaborne gasoline cargo from India.
Motor fuel shortages are once again disrupting everyday life and commercial transport across several regions of Russia, threatening an economy already grappling with stubborn inflation and strained supply chains. The crisis follows a renewed wave of Ukrainian drone strikes on domestic oil refineries through late July and early August, compounding the strain of seasonal demand.
While many of the acute fuel gaps that spread across the country’s 11 time zones earlier this summer had temporarily eased, the latest refinery attacks have undone that respite.
Rationing and Queues Return to Regional Gas Stations
Local authorities in at least 10 regions have tightened controls on motor fuel sales at petrol stations. Reuters witnesses observed that gasoline was once again unavailable at select fuel stations in the Moscow region, though diesel remained accessible at most locations.
Elsewhere, regional leaders have moved quickly to implement strict distribution limits. The Kaluga region, which neighbors Moscow, announced a rationing system for cars based on license plates. Meanwhile, the Astrakhan region on the Caspian Sea coast plans to cap fuel sales at 40 liters per vehicle while temporarily restricting operations at a number of city gas stations.
The Russian government acknowledged the widespread friction in an official statement, noting that the fuel supply situation remains difficult in the Orenburg, Lipetsk, Tver, Krasnodar, Zabaykalsky, Primorsky, Krasnoyarsk, Oryol, Tuva, and Khakassia regions. Exchange data underscores the depth of the domestic crunch: sales of gasoline have fallen by an average of 20% at the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange since the beginning of August compared to the second half of July.
Trucking Pressures and Soaring Shipment Costs
The transport sector bears a heavy burden from the fuel squeeze. Although Russia maintains an extensive railway network, state statistical agency Rosstat reports that more than 70% of all cargo in the first half of 2026 was transported by road. With fuel accounting for roughly 30% of freight expenses, carriers have seen their operational costs surge.
Photo: Reuters
Higher trucking costs are directly stoking inflationary pressure across the wider economy. Vitaly Kiselev, head of the commercial transport committee at the Russian Association of Automobile Dealers, explained that freight rates rose by 12% to 15% on average during July’s acute phase of the crisis compared to the previous month, with certain routes experiencing hikes of up to 50%.
“There will be no reduction in tariffs — we can say this for sure.”
Photo: Reuters
Vitaly Kiselev, head of the commercial transport committee at the Russian Association of Automobile Dealers
Logistics operators are scrambling to adapt. Valeria Savenkova, commercial director of the logistics operator Logistic Performance, noted that fuel prices rose by 16% to 18% over a one-month span, driving up company transport costs by 4.5% to 5.5%.
“We managed to reorganise our logistics operations very quickly and moved away from long-haul routes,”
Valeria Savenkova, commercial director of Logistic Performance
“We’re no longer running deliveries across Russia’s regions. And we are focusing on shorter routes within the Moscow region and delivering cargo to the nearest ports.”
Valeria Savenkova, commercial director of Logistic Performance
Strained Trade Routes With China and Importers’ Dilemma
Routes connecting Russia to China, its most important trading partner in recent years, face severe operational strain. Carriers encounter persistent fuel supply disruptions in Zabaykalsky Krai, a critical gateway for cargo traffic originating from China.
Fuel Crisis Deepens Across Russia | WION Business Watch 2026
Georgy Vlastopulo, founder of the logistics company Optimalog, pointed out that shipment rates rose by roughly 20% to 25% between May and mid-July. The cost of shipping cargo from China to Moscow has climbed by almost a third to approximately 1.1 million to 1.2 million roubles, equivalent to $14,000, compared to $10,000 to $11,000 before the crisis.
Trucks in Zabaykalsky Krai must still wait in queues for fuel lasting two or three days. Consequently, clients are shifting away from road freight, driving an 18% to 20% increase in demand for direct rail shipments and a 10% to 12% rise in sea transportation.
Seaborne Imports and International Interventions
To stabilize the domestic market, Moscow has deployed a series of extraordinary measures, including a ban on fuel exports, lowered fuel quality requirements, and coordinated rail imports from Belarus and Kazakhstan. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak signaled these importing efforts in July.
Demonstrating the global reach of the supply hunt, at least one cargo of gasoline from India has entered the Russian domestic market. An Oman-flagged tanker loaded roughly 68,000 metric tons of gasoline at the Port Said anchorage via a ship-to-ship transfer from the tanker Agni, which originated at India’s Vadinar port. Shipping data confirms that the cargo was discharged at Russia’s Arctic port of Vitino in early August, with transshipment by rail to domestic buyers already underway.
Photo: Nbcnews
Traders have sold Russia gasoline produced by Indian refiner Nayara Energy, and LSEG shipping data indicates that at least two additional Indian gasoline cargoes are scheduled to arrive at Russian ports within the next two weeks, following earlier seaborne diesel imports from Asia into Far East ports.
Even as these emergency shipments arrive, market participants expect long-term financial consequences. Industry analysts suggest that transport operators will maintain elevated tariffs to recover losses incurred from reduced fleet utilization, ensuring that high shipping costs remain a fixture of the Russian supply landscape for the foreseeable future.
Russia struggles with fuel shortages amid Ukraine strikes | AFP
