Overview
- Since early August, drone and missile strikes have damaged major refineries including Ufa and Orsk, forcing shutdowns and repairs that officials say could take months and materially reduced Russia’s refining throughput.
- The loss of processing capacity has brought back long queues and station-level rationing across many regions, with chains and local authorities imposing per-vehicle limits and odd/even purchase rules to stretch supplies.
- Moscow has responded by quietly importing fuel, including shipments reported from India, and temporarily re-authorising lower Euro‑2/3/4 fuel grades and relaxed technical rules to boost supply quickly.
- Authorities have also tightened information controls and taken legal action against critics who posted or organised protests about shortages, while many social‑media videos of fights at pumps remain unverified.
- Separately, Germany’s gas storages sit around half full and wholesale gas prices have risen, prompting consumer advisers to urge tariff checks and 12‑month price guarantees because households face a higher risk of winter price increases.