The Guardian: The Kremlin Finds Itself In An Unthinkable Situation

The oil-producing nation has become a gasoline importer.

Following a series of Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries, Russia found itself in a situation that would have been unthinkable for it over the past twenty years: one of the world’s largest oil producers is forced to urgently seek fuel abroad to make up for the resulting shortage in the domestic market. As commentators note, what is happening looks like a real humiliation for the Putin regime—there isn’t enough gasoline even in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and videos are circulating on social media showing Russians fighting in lines at gas stations over an extra can of fuel.

The publication The Guardian cites a number of signs of growing fuel panic. A tanker from the so-called “shadow fleet,” which is subject to sanctions, is delivering oil to a Russian Baltic port from Turkey—a NATO country. At the same time, Russia has begun purchasing AI-92 gasoline even in Africa, organizing tanker shipments from Morocco, and is also attempting to increase imports via costly supply chains from Turkey and India. Residents of border regions are flocking to Kazakhstan in droves to buy fuel—a phenomenon that has already been dubbed “fuel tourism.” Meanwhile, authorities in Transbaikalia and other border regions are trying to arrange gasoline deliveries in jerry cans and trucks from China.

In just one summer, a country that until recently ranked second in the world in crude oil production found itself embroiled in a desperate race for imported fuel. The situation became particularly acute in the second half of August 2026.

People are waiting in line for hours at gas stations—in some regions, such as Yakutsk, cars are lined up in five rows, and drivers spend an entire day waiting. City authorities have had to set up portable restrooms near gas stations and arrange for the delivery of drinking water.

The shortage of AI-95 gasoline—the most popular grade in the country—is felt most acutely. It has disappeared from approximately 80% of gas stations across Russia. In Moscow, this type of fuel can be found at only one in five gas stations, and in the occupied territories of Crimea and Sevastopol, at just 1–2% of stations. The largest chains, including “Rosneft” and Gazprom Neft, have imposed strict limits on fuel sales—no more than 30–50 liters per customer—and at some gas stations, gasoline is now sold exclusively with special cards for emergency services.

The crisis has also affected Central Asia. Tajikistan, which previously depended almost entirely on preferential supplies of petroleum products from Russia, found itself on the brink of a fuel crisis due to the halt in exports. Restrictions have already been imposed in the country—no more than 20 liters per vehicle—and the government was forced to urgently sign an agreement with Iran for the supply of 2.5 million metric tons of petroleum products.

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