Russia can’t pretend it isn’t enduring a fuel crisis thanks to the Ukraine war. While Crimea’s recent fuel woes are nothing new, the crisis has worsened in recent days, with half of the civilian population left without electricity due to Ukrainian strikes and fuel sales halted entirely.
It’s a problem that has gained significant media attention throughout June, but now it has extended beyond the peninsula. Ukrainian long-range strikes have brought the fuel crisis to Siberia.
U.S. Army Pvt. 1st Class Ian Wojick, assigned to 552nd Military Police Company, 25th Infantry, aims a DroneBuster, an anti-drone weapon, toward the sky during the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center Exportable (JPMRC-X) exercise at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, June 1, 2025.
This iteration of the JPMRC-X marks the second Combat Training Center (CTC) rotation conducted in the Philippines. As part of the Army’s premier regional CTC, JPMRC-X enables the U.S. Army, joint force, allies, and partners to develop skills in realistic environments and conditions. Through exportable capabilities, JPMRC-X strengthens war-fighting readiness, enhances multilateral relationships, and contributes to regional security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Keith Thornburgh)
On Monday, June 22, authorities in Omsk Oblast introduced new limits on gasoline and diesel sales, while officials in Novosibirsk and Irkutsk also moved toward implementing restrictions as shortages spread throughout Siberia.
It comes after months of Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries and fuel logistics, supply roads, and maritime routes. The campaign of “long-range sanctions,” as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls it, appears to be working.
Ukraine War Fuel Problems: Omsk Introduces Fuel Limits
Omsk Governor Vitaly Khotsenko confirmed on Monday that gasoline sales would be limited to 40 liters per vehicle.
The sale of oil in jerry cans is now also prohibited. The measures are restrictive, but not quite as severe as the recent Crimean limit of 20 liters per sale.
In a matter of weeks, however, that 20-liter limit fell to zero. Diesel sales are also being restricted in the region, with regular gas stations limiting sales to 80 liters per fill-up and highway stations limited to 200 liters.
Khotsenko said that the restrictions were being introduced to “avoid artificially creating panic buying at gas stations and speculation.”
Omsk is roughly 2,500 kilometers southeast of Moscow and close to the Russia-Kazakhstan border, making the restrictions a significant indicator of Russia’s fuel woes.
Sea Baby Drone Ukraine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The crisis is now moving far beyond the areas that are directly affected by the war.
Irkutsk and Novosibirsk Follow Suit
Also on June 22, Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said that his region would move into what he called “manual mode,” stating that authorities would now determine fuel volumes “for each recipient individually.”
The next morning, on June 23, Novosibirsk Governor Andrei Travnikov said his region would also need to restrict sales because neighboring regions had already done the same.
Novosibirsk is home to Russia’s third-largest city and sits deep inside Siberia.
Euromaiden Press reported how officials in the region had previously reported stable oil reserves and no queues, with just a 0.3 percent rise in gasoline prices in May.
By June 20, however, that began to change. Reports said that one station in the Chanovsky district was selling gasoline for 99 rubles per liter, or roughly $1.33.
Crimea Has Run Dry
Occupied Crimea has so far seen the strictest conditions. Starting June 21, Russian authorities in the region halted all fuel sales to businesses and individuals, including coupon sales.
Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-installed head of the region, said that all remaining fuel would be reserved only for the “state services that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea.”
“I ask everyone to remain calm and to only trust official sources of information,” Aksyonov also said.
The fuel shutdown did not come as a shock.
Fuel coupons and limits on fuel purchases were already in place, and Russian authorities in the region have now also suspended children’s summer camps and tourist stays for minors until September 1, citing public safety as strikes continue to cause power outages.
Overnight June 22-23, multiple fires were reported across the region, and traffic on the Kerch Bridge was suspended for over five hours after reports of explosions and strikes on transport infrastructure.
One In Four Stations Hit
By mid-June, chains operating at least 7,000 of the roughly 29,000 gas stations in Russia – around one in four – had capped sales, according to an analysis by Russian outlet Agentstvo.
Novaya Gazeta also reported on June 13 that large gas station networks in Russia had begun restricting sales in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Tatarstan.
Tatneft introduced some of the strictest limits, reportedly allowing no more than 20 liters of AI-92 and A-95 gasoline and up to 40 liters of diesel per vehicle in Moscow.
The Economic Impact Is Growing
The fuel crisis in Russia is growing, and so too is the economic pressure thanks to the Ukraine war.
On June 20, the Russian central bank cut its key interest rate by just 0.25 percentage points, from 14.5 percent to 14.25 percent, despite pressure from businesses for a much larger reduction.
Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina warned that inflation risks remain high and cited rising fuel costs as a key concern. The decision was announced before escalations worsened the crisis.
“Rising petrol prices may also affect inflation expectations, as this is a highly sensitive commodity both for people and for companies,” Nabiullina said, pointing to Ukraine’s air campaign as the reason for Russia’s economic woes.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
