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Russian fuel frustration increases as crisis bites

Farmers in Russia's grain belt are worried that they won't be able to harvest their crops due to a fuel shortage caused by Ukraine's drone strikes on oil refineries and depots.

The damage caused by Kyiv's strikes on the energy infrastructure of 'the 'country has led to fuel shortages in many regions, and a growing level of public unrest.

The shortage has also prompted drivers to share maps and exchange tips on which stations offer fuel and have shorter lines. In social media footage, drivers have been seen fighting as they wait for fuel.

In a video titled 'The Ultimate Luxury, 2026', a man pours petrol slowly into his lawnmower using a jerrycan and jokes, "What riches." Who can afford this?

According to Yandex, the website iPhones.ru reported that online searches for "how do you siphon fuel?" rose from 697 a few months earlier to 9,300 on June 21, up from 6,97 a couple of weeks ago. Retail gasoline prices in some regions have reached some of the highest levels ever recorded in Europe.

Rosstat, the state statistics agency, reported that the price of gasoline in Sevastopol - the largest city within Russian-controlled Crimea – jumped by 30% just in the last week.

Rosstat reported that while the average price of gasoline in Russia was 72.38 rubles ($0.9256) a litre last week, witnesses said some stations in areas affected by shortages were charging $2.42 a litre. The Russian authorities are uncomfortable with the evidence of Kyiv’s wider impact. Since launching its "special military operation" in 2022, Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine's infrastructure, leaving many Ukrainians without heat or power during winter. Moscow initially downplayed fuel shortages by claiming they were localized bottlenecks. But on Sunday, President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the issues and promised to take measures to stabilize the market.

He stressed that it is vital to continue to supply the agricultural sector, "because harvest depends on it".

A social media post describes farmers in Black Earth struggling to pay for fuel to harvest their crops, while another tells of a farmer who had to drive his combine to a regular gasoline station because he wasn't allowed to fill up a can.

Could not independently verify accounts.

MOSCOW SAYS PROBLEMS WILL BE ADDRESSED Alexander Novak, the deputy prime minister and Putin's energy point man, stated on Wednesday that problems will be addressed. Exclusively, it was reported that "Russia has begun to import seaborne gasoline from India" and that Kazakhstan agreed to provide 50,000 metric tonnes to Russia between July 'and August. A poll conducted this week showed that Russians felt more pessimistic than ever before about the economic situation, even before the shortages escalated last month. Fuel shortages are likely to continue as strikes continue. This could lead to a decline in public support for the war. The conflict began in February of 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. It is now in its 5th year.

In some areas, basic services are being cut. In the Zabaikalsky Region, near China and Mongolia on the border, authorities have cancelled bus routes, and a waste collection firm has suspended service in four districts due to fuel shortages.

"What's more frightening is the cost of groceries." "All deliveries are made by 'road", one poster commented on an article on the 'website of regional newspaper Chita.ru.

The comment was "liked" by more than 100 people.

Tatiana Sedykh, who was waiting in line for diesel at a fuel station in Rostov on Don in southern Russia on Monday, said she was happy she had chosen this option. The line at the gas station is insane. I'm beginning to wonder if I should start walking to work.

(source: Reuters)