Russia Tightens Fuel Sales Restrictions Across 53 Regions Amid Drone Attacks on Oil Infrastructure

Russia has expanded restrictions on retail fuel sales across more than 50 regions in response to a deepening fuel crisis caused by Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries and storage depots. Beginning June 23, fuel limits took effect at Lukoil stations in Voronezh Oblast, where customers in the city are restricted to 30 liters of gasoline and 60 liters of diesel per fill-up, while those on highways can purchase up to 60 liters of gasoline and 200 liters of diesel. Similar measures have been implemented in Omsk, Irkutsk, Saratov, Amur, Tambov, Lipetsk, Tula, Tver, and Vladimir regions, with varying limits typically ranging from 30 to 40 liters of gasoline and 80 to 200 liters of diesel per vehicle.

Regional governors have justified the restrictions as necessary to prevent artificial demand spikes and speculation. Omsk's governor Vitaly Hotsenko announced limits of 40 liters of gasoline and 80 liters of diesel, while Irkutsk's governor Igor Kobzev acknowledged that authorities have been forced to shift to manual operational procedures due to the crisis. Saratov region imposed a temporary ban on selling more than 30 liters of gasoline per vehicle from June 23 to 30.

According to reporting by The Bell, temporary fuel restrictions have been established in 53 Russian regions and on Russian-annexed territories of Ukraine as of mid-June. The crisis intensified following a surge in Ukrainian drone attacks against major Russian oil industry facilities in the country's central regions. In May alone, Russian oil production fell to its lowest level in a year, as nearly all major oil refineries and storage depots were forced to reduce or halt operations following the strikes. The widespread shortages reflect the cumulative impact of sustained Ukrainian military operations targeting Russia's energy infrastructure.