Moscow
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Oct. 09, 2026, 5:00 a.m. ET
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4 min read
Russians once believed that long lines to purchase goods belonged to the distant past. However, they are now experiencing this unwelcome situation firsthand due to intensified Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Instead of facing the rising fuel costs that much of the world is experiencing, Russians are grappling with government-imposed fuel rationing, forcing them to search extensively for gas stations with supplies and wait their turn to refuel.
“If it takes you half an hour to fill your tank in any Russian region, consider yourself extremely fortunate,” says Sergey Kanaev, head of the Federation of Car Owners of Russia, a grassroots organization. “Typically, it takes an hour or longer. We frequently see people leaving their vehicles at gas stations, only to return on bicycles when fuel becomes available. You can observe cars abandoned near gas stations across virtually every region. No driver welcomes this circumstance.”
A Different Approach to Fuel Management
This year, around 70 drone attacks on Russian refineries have temporarily disrupted as much as 30% of production capacity, resulting in widespread shortages and various rationing measures across 50 regions. Numerous gas stations have suspended operations, while others restrict purchases to as little as five gallons. In many areas, drivers are served only on specific days based on their license plate numbers.
Some independent distributors have managed to increase prices by 50% or more, allowing those willing to pay premium rates to refuel their vehicles. Meanwhile, major chains, under government pressure to control inflation, have maintained relatively stable pricing. The resulting queues stretch from functioning gas stations into the main thoroughfares of Moscow and other Russian cities.
Reuters
Smoke rises from fires at an oil refinery following what authorities report as a Ukrainian drone strike in Moscow on Sept. 20, 2026.
A August poll conducted by the Levada Center, Russia’s sole independent public opinion research organization, revealed that the majority of respondents had encountered gasoline shortages, with 55% stating it made their lives more difficult, and 32% claiming it seriously impeded their daily activities.
Dozens of online platforms have emerged to assist drivers in navigating the fluctuating supply landscape, locating stations that dispense the required fuel type, and avoiding the largest crowds.
Drivers report that the most effective tools are apps developed by major banks, such as the state-run Sberbank, which analyze credit card transaction data from tens of millions of customers to identify locations where drivers are successfully purchasing fuel. Russia’s equivalent to Google, the technology giant Yandex, offers a widely-used application that integrates multiple data sources to produce an interactive map displaying real-time availability of various gasoline grades, waiting times, and the likelihood of supplies depleting at over 20,000 gas stations nationwide.
Kanaev states that while these apps prove useful at least half the time, none can fully keep pace with the rapidly evolving situation, noting that their information is often outdated.
Shifting Challenges
The Ukrainian strategy of targeting refineries and consumer warehouses has effectively brought the conflict directly to millions of ordinary Russians, though its impact on Russia’s military capabilities remains uncertain.
Under wartime economic controls, civilian consumers are prioritized last for gasoline and diesel supplies, following the military and defense industries, which continue to receive adequate provisions. Russia has relied on imports of refined petroleum products from allied nations like India, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, and has implemented an export ban on diesel fuel until at least the end of October. Despite these challenges, rising global oil prices have enabled Russia to achieve its highest export revenue from crude oil sales in September since the conflict began.
It also remains unclear how public sentiment toward the ongoing war has evolved. The recent elections for the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, produced the expected pro-Kremlin majority with minimal indications of social instability. Approximately 10% of deputies in the newly elected Duma are veterans of the Ukraine conflict, potentially reflecting Kremlin efforts to prevent social unrest by emphasizing support for returning soldiers.
In an August presidential decree, the Kremlin instructed major Russian corporations to safeguard their own refineries and industrial facilities or face potential state takeover.
“If our oligarchs can allocate millions of dollars to acquire soccer players for their teams, why can’t they afford to protect their assets?” asks Viktor Litovkin, an independent security analyst based in Moscow. “They should employ reservists to patrol their premises and establish anti-drone defenses. It’s a straightforward task – machine guns, light anti-aircraft missiles, or even hunting rifles are sufficient to counter these drones. However, it wasn’t until Putin threatened the possibility of state management of their properties that they took decisive action. The situation remains fluid.”
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Meanwhile, Russian drivers persevere through lengthy waits and hope that government assurances that shortages will ease following the autumn harvest season—peak driving period—will prove accurate.
“We've had to restrict our family car usage” since filling the tank has become such a burdensome task,” says Kirill Poputnikov, an architect in Yaroslavl, located approximately 170 miles northeast of Moscow. “It's not ideal, but many people are adapting by finding alternative transportation methods, even if they are more costly and inconvenient. What choice do we have?”
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