Explore the latest developments concerning Russian fuel shortages.
Russian fuel shortages bite – but will Putin change tack in Ukraine war?
If you want to get a sense of the fuel crisis gripping Russia, all you need to do is spend a day driving around Moscow. At almost every petrol station we passed there was a queue of cars and lorries. Some lines were long, some short; some static, others moving steadily.
If there was no queue, that meant the garage had run out of fuel entirely and was closed.
Remember: this is Moscow, the wealthy, populated capital that draws in so much of Russia's vast resources. Even here the authorities cannot ensure there is enough petrol and diesel to keep Muscovites on the road.
Ukraine war is not going well for Russia – how dangerous is this for Vladimir Putin?
The mood regarding the war in Ukraine has changed in recent months. Ukrainian drones have struck Russian oil infrastructure, causing fuel shortages across Russia. And the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is exuberant about finishing the war from a “position of strength”.
The hope is that an economic crisis in Russia leads to social unrest and political instability, possibly resulting in the collapse of the ruling regime. This would not be an unprecedented event in Russian history. The Soviet Union rapidly unravelled amid economic and political crisis in 1991. But how likely is this scenario for Russia today?
I have travelled to Russia yearly since 2022 and there has been a clear change in the mood. In 2022, it was all about survival and adapting to the new reality of sanctions and war. Over the next couple of years, there was stabilisation and growing optimism about the economy’s ability to adapt. However, by 2026 there was talk of an economic recession, even before the current fuel shortages hit.
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Tensions rise as motorists get angry about Russia’s fuel shortage
Frustrations over Russia’s petrol shortages have run so deep that fistfights have broken out among exasperated motorists waiting for hours in line.
For more detailed information, explore updates concerning Russian fuel shortages.
