Ukraine Drone Strikes Push Russia into Fuel Crisis

Ukrainian long-range drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure have produced the country's most acute fuel crisis in over two decades.

Strikes have rationed across more than half of Russia's regions. Over 50 attacks on refineries, depots and terminals took place since late March.

Some facilities like the Black Sea refinery in Tuapse, hit four times in just over two weeks.

A Rare Admission From the Kremlin

President Vladimir Putin acknowledged "problems persist for both motorists and businesses" and said shortages are "not critical" and they are "temporary."

Crude processing fell 25% year-on-year in June to 3.95 million barrels per day, the lowest level in more than 20 years, according Energy Intelligence.

Gasoline production dropped 17% to 850,000 barrels a day from 1.03 million a year earlier.

A Third of Refining Capacity Offline

Chris Weafer of Macro-Advisory Ltd. estimated about a third of Russia's refining capacity is currently offline, according to AP.

This is based on anecdotal and industry sources, since refineries do not publicly disclose damage.

He said repairing the Moscow Oil Refinery, which supplied 40% of fuel to the capital region, is expected to take at least three months.

Rationing Reaches Regions Untouched by Strikes

Shortages have spread even to areas with no direct refinery attacks.

In the Omsk region, sales were capped at 40 liters (10.5 gallons) per vehicle.

In Irkutsk, officials raised public transport fares and ordered in portable toilets to accommodate gas station queues.

Crimea, isolated by Kyiv's strategy, saw fuel rationing introduced in May before a full halt to civilian sales, with limited sales later resuming in Sevastopol.

Strikes Reach 1,300 Kilometers Into Russia

As Russia’s fuel crisis deepens, Ukraine struck an oil refinery today in Ufa, over 1,300 kilometers from the front line, and a missile-components facility in the Penza region, about 600 kilometers away.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Ufa refinery, one of Russia's largest lubricant producers, was hit for the second time, and called the strikes part of Ukraine's ongoing "long-range sanctions" campaign against Moscow.