Russia is facing a fresh wave of fuel supply disruptions as several regional refineries remain offline, tightening gasoline and diesel availability. According to Crimea’s head, Sergey Aksyonov, multiple plants have been forced to halt operations, leaving certain fuel grades scarce and prompting rationing across some regions. The outages stem from a mix of Ukrainian drone strikes on refining assets and ongoing maintenance challenges, exposing vulnerabilities in Russia’s downstream sector.

Private fuel stations are reportedly struggling to build reserves, citing rising borrowing costs and unstable wholesale supplies. Authorities have begun prioritizing deliveries to critical sectors, including transport and agriculture, while limiting exports to preserve domestic balance. Analysts caution that if further refining capacity is compromised, Russia’s ability to sustain steady export flows could weaken, tightening global diesel and gasoline markets at a time of already heightened volatility.

The disruptions highlight how fragile regional supply chains become when primary refining hubs are disabled. With no immediate clarity on the timeline for full restoration, both domestic consumers and export buyers face the risk of prolonged shortages.