Fuel Shortages Spread Across Russia as War Takes Growing Toll on Daily Life

Petrol shortages are becoming increasingly visible across Moscow and other parts of Russia, with motorists facing long queues and uncertainty over when fuel supplies will return.

At a petrol station in south-east Moscow, one driver, Svyatoslav, had already spent two hours waiting when the station’s sign was changed to indicate that petrol was unavailable.

Despite the shortage, he remained hopeful that supplies would arrive.

“They say there will be petrol here,” he said, adding that he did not know whether fuel would become available later that day or the following day.

Leaving to search for another station was not an easy option because he did not have enough fuel remaining in his tank to travel elsewhere.

Fuel Shortages Spread Across Russia

Long queues have been reported at petrol stations in Moscow and several other parts of Russia this week.

Russian officials have attributed the disruptions to unscheduled maintenance at oil refineries. However, the repairs have come amid continued Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Russian oil infrastructure.

Long-range strikes on refineries and other energy facilities have previously contributed to fuel shortages in parts of Russia.

The latest disruptions suggest that the country’s refining and fuel distribution networks are again coming under pressure.

Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta described the situation as a “second wave of the fuel crisis” this week.

Motorists Face Long Queues

The shortage has turned the search for petrol into a daily challenge for some drivers.

At one Moscow station, as many as 80 vehicles were seen waiting for fuel.

Elizaveta, another motorist, said she had attempted to buy petrol late at night but was forced to wait when the station temporarily closed.

She eventually returned to the queue after midnight.

Another driver, Lyubov, said she experienced similar difficulties while travelling into Moscow from the regions, describing a journey during which she encountered petrol stations without fuel.

War’s Impact Reaches the Home Front

The growing fuel shortages are another indication of how Russia’s war with Ukraine is increasingly affecting everyday life away from the battlefield.

Ukraine has intensified its long-range attacks against Russian energy infrastructure, particularly oil refineries and fuel-related facilities, seeking to disrupt a key source of revenue and military logistics.

For Russian motorists, however, the consequences are more immediate: longer queues, uncertain supplies and growing difficulty finding fuel.

While patriotic messages continue to dominate billboards across Moscow, the increasingly visible petrol shortages are providing a very different picture of the pressures created by the ongoing war.