Crimea warns petrol may be unavailable as Ukrainian drone strikes deepen Russia's fuel crisis

Fuel shortages that have been escalating since the summer of 2025 are now compounding into a nationwide crisis for Russia, forcing the oil-producing nation to ban energy exports and begin importing fuel instead.

Crimea Hit First and Hardest

In the annexed peninsula of Crimea—one of the first Russian-controlled areas affected by the shortage—public gasoline sales were cut weeks ago.

"The fuel supply situation remains tense and will persist for some time," Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-backed head of Crimea, warned in a statement on Wednesday. "On certain days, fuel will not be available for sale."

Aksyonov's announcement follows Crimea's declaration on June 22 that it was temporarily halting fuel sales to all buyers except the federal government and essential services.

Ukrainian Drone Campaign Disrupts Supply Lines

Much of the crisis stems from a Ukrainian campaign to besiege the peninsula using drone strikes. Crimea is connected to mainland Europe and Russia by several key land bridges, all of which have come under intense attack in recent weeks.

A new class of longer-range fixed-wing drones—often equipped with artificial intelligence to improve survivability against signal jamming—has enabled Kyiv's forces to target these bridges, supply routes, and trucks in the south for months.

A key target has been the R-280, a major supply highway running from Rostov-on-Don to Crimea along the western coastline of the Sea of Azov. Traffic on the route dropped by over 70%, Ukraine's forces reported in June.

The strikes continue. On Wednesday, drone pilots from Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces stated that they had hit more than 360 oil tankers and heavy transport vehicles bound for Crimea in a single week.

"Every tanker and every unit of heavy transport on this route is a legitimate military target," the drone warfare branch said in its statement.

Broader Damage to Russian Refining Capacity

The fuel problem extends beyond Crimea. Ukraine has spent much of the past year repeatedly bombarding Russian oil and gas infrastructure with long-range, jet-launched drones.

Russian government statistics have since reported that gasoline production fell by 17%, with approximately one-third of local oil refining capacity damaged.

Last week, Ukrainian forces claimed they had knocked out 42.74% of Russia's oil refining capacity, though this figure has yet to be publicly corroborated by outside sources.

Nationwide Shortages and Queues

Regardless of the exact figures, the toll is becoming visible. According to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank:

• At least 78 of Russia's 83 regions are suffering from gasoline or diesel shortages
• 48 of these regions have introduced some form of purchase cuts or limits

In Moscow, by far Russia's wealthiest city, lines of cars have been seen outside petrol stations in recent days. Social media posts from other regions show queues stretching for miles. One viral video shows a man claiming he had been waiting for 36 hours in Zabaykalsky Krai in the Russian Far East.

Kremlin Response

The Kremlin responded on Wednesday by banning diesel and jet fuel exports, stating that it had begun importing petrol and sourcing products with "lower environmental standards."

Russian leader Vladimir Putin acknowledged the shortages last week but has sought to reassure the nation that they will pass, describing them as "temporary matters" during a meeting with officials on Wednesday.