Drivers across Russia are waiting for hours to refuel at gas stations – and, in some areas, for days. As fuel shortages worsen, people are driving across cities in search of gas stations that are still open, spending the night in their cars and waiting for a chance to refuel. Tempers often flare up and scuffles break out between people waiting in line for gas.
In recent months, Ukraine has intensified drone attacks on Russian oil refineries. On July 6, Ukrainian forces targeted the Omsk refinery, about 2,500 kilometers (1,550 mi) from the border. Ukraine has now attacked Russia’s 10 largest oil refineries from the Leningrad region to Omsk. The campaign has deepened the fuel crisis that has spread across much of Russia.
‘Fight for survival’
People across the area are reporting that gas stations are closing. Those that still have fuel attract queues stretching for miles. A woman living in Gelendzhik said she had been trying to fill her car with gas for three days. She arrived at a gas station at 5 a.m. and even spent the night in her car, but still could not purchase any gasoline.
“This is literally a fight for survival,” he said. She blames the situation not only on fuel shortage but also on resellers, who, she said, are buying gasoline and selling it at inflated prices.
The situation appears to be most serious in Chita, a city in Russia’s Trans-Baikal region, according to videos posted by witnesses on social media. There, drivers are reportedly waiting in line for up to 36 hours to buy fuel. While waiting, some people run out of gas and are forced to push their cars. Social media users also claim that people are selling their places in line for up to 35,000 rubles (€400/$460).
Fuel shortages are forcing many Russians to change their daily routines. Some people are carpooling to run errands or take their kids to school; Others are switching to public transportation. An Irkutsk resident said she decided to rely on buses and taxis after repeatedly failing to refuel her car. But those services are also being affected. newspaper Kommersant Taxi drivers are working less and canceling longer trips and rides in major cities, the report said. The result has come in the form of increase in fares.
Some residents of more rural areas of Russia are buying horses instead of cars. Telegram channel Mash, quoting horse breeders, reports that demand for workhorses has increased in recent weeks. The animals are being used for forestry work, mowing and everyday agricultural work.
The demand for bicycles has also increased rapidly. In June, bicycle sales on online marketplace CDEK.Shopping rose 131%, while advertising revenue soared 263% in May, the company told Russian outlet Afisha. Bicycles are increasingly being seen as an alternative to cars.
“Hurray! Now I’m officially a pedestrian,” one Krasnodar resident wrote after she said she was unable to refuel her car because a local gas station was only selling gasoline to “special vehicles.” According to Russian independent outlet 7×7, that category also includes cars used by government officials. The outlet reports that its journalists documented cases in at least four regions where fuel was sold only to people with official government IDs.
Kremlin denies shortages
Some social media users accused authorities of downplaying the crisis. Although about one-third of Russia’s oil refineries are reportedly out of operation, the government is largely silent, Nina Ostanina, a member of the Duma, the lower house of parliament, wrote on her Telegram channel.
“Why are the Agriculture Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister responsible for the sector remaining silent before the harvest?” Ostanina wrote. “The country could be left without grain, which would be tantamount to a death sentence under international sanctions.”
National officials deny that Russia is facing systemic fuel shortages. They blame panic buying and speculators for the crisis. Although nationwide fuel demand has increased by 20-30%, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak insists that supply disruptions are limited to individual gas stations. He said there was enough fuel available and the problem could be solved by restructuring.
Regional officials are also giving similar arguments. The governors of Krasnodar, Irkutsk and Pskov regions claim retailers have spread panic among the public.
“People fear they will no longer be able to move around normally, go to work or take care of their children,” Pskov Governor Mikhail Vedernikov wrote on the state-backed messaging app Max. “Taxi drivers and small businesses are stocking up to avoid losing income. Farmers are worried about potential machinery failures and resulting crop losses. All this is driving up demand.”
Putin’s approval rating
Trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to be decreasing. According to a poll by the Russian Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) conducted from 19 to 21 June, his approval rating fell from 74% to 69% over the course of a week. This is the lowest level since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. At the same time, there are growing concerns about the economic condition of the country, especially when it comes to rising prices and cost of living.
The change in public sentiment does not appear to have translated into calls for an immediate end to the war. Indeed, according to a poll released in June by the independent Levada Center, support for Russia’s war in Ukraine has increased. Thirty percent of respondents now say they support the war, which is six percentage points higher than in March 2026.
Sixty percent of respondents say Russia should enter peace talks – down seven percentage points since February 2025. Sociologists at the Levada Center say this sustained decline in support for peace talks of this length was last seen over a four-month period between late 2023 and early 2024.
This article was originally published in Ukrainian.