Residents in Vologda, a city some 300 miles north of Moscow, are experiencing severe fuel shortages due to intensifying Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. Yelena and Dmitry, a local couple, had to visit four petrol stations before finding one with fuel. Vologda, like most Russian regions, is facing unprecedented fuel rationing and shortages as the conflict with Ukraine drags on. The crisis is particularly striking in a country that is one of the world's top oil producers.
Since June, over 90 percent of Russian regions have reported fuel rationing or shortages, according to an AFP tally. In Vologda, some petrol stations have closed, while others see long queues of frustrated drivers. The Kremlin has downplayed the crisis, with President Vladimir Putin asserting that Ukraine aims to divide Russians and create panic. However, the reality on the ground tells a different story, with drivers expressing growing impatience and frustration.
In response to the crisis, Moscow has banned exports of certain grades of petrol and aviation fuel, and extended the ban to diesel exports. Fuel rationing has also been introduced. These measures have begun to show some effect in Moscow and other regions, with queues at petrol stations reportedly shrinking. However, the impact of Ukrainian strikes on Russia's oil sector remains significant, with Energy Intelligence estimating that nearly half of Russia's refining capacity has been knocked offline since late February.
Ukraine's strikes on Russian energy infrastructure are seen as a response to Moscow's bombardments of Ukrainian cities and a way to choke off a key source of revenue for Russia's war efforts. Despite Putin's reassurances about the resilience of Russia's energy network, regions far from the conflict, like Vologda, are feeling the consequences. Local drivers often blame the West for the situation, echoing the Kremlin's narrative that Russia is defending itself against decadent Western countries.
