Fuel Shortages: A Turning Point in Russia’s War?

In recent days, the Ukrainian army has stepped up its attacks on Russian refineries and oil depots. Fuel is now in short supply in Russia, with sales restrictions in place in several regions. According to insiders, Moscow is now trying to import petrol from Kazakhstan.

Remote regions also hit

The Ukrainian drone strikes are having an impact, writes Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland):

“Russia is sliding into an increasingly acute fuel crisis, despite being one of the world’s three largest oil producers. ... Until recently, fuel sales were restricted only in Crimea and the regions bordering Ukraine. Now the crisis is spreading across the entire country and has even reached Siberia: a region that is effectively out of reach for Ukrainian drones. Since Wednesday, tanking up at petrol stations in Omsk Oblast has been restricted to filling the vehicle’s fuel tank and is capped at 40 litres of petrol or 80 litres of diesel per customer.”

Bridges over the Volga as vulnerable points

Political scientist Nikolai Mitrokhin urges readers to take a look at a map of Russia and comments on Facebook (Russia):

“It is not the army or the navy or the FSB that holds the country together, but 17 railway bridges across the Volga. Long freight trains travel across these bridges, carrying fuel and other goods. And all these bridges are within range of Ukrainian heavy strike drones and missiles. ... And no matter how much fuel the Russian Federation manage to purchase – it will most likely be transported via these bridges.”

Other Topics of Interest

Russian Strike Hits Energy and Civilian Infrastructure in Odesa Region, Injuring One

Russian forces hit energy and civilian infrastructure in Odesa region’s Vilkove community, injuring one person and leaving settlements without power.

From a lack of petrol to war weariness

Political scientist Sergei Medvedev describes on Facebook the consequences of fuel shortages for the conduct of the war and the morale of Russian society (Russia):

“The shortages of fuel, lubricants and oils in general mean that these resources are in short supply at the front. The main objective is to ensure that the Russian occupying forces experience shortages of fuels and lubricants over the summer and in particular during the so-called offensive campaign. ... The underlying trend is a shift towards fatalism. When the war goes badly and the population starts to suffer from its consequences, it will adopt the attitude: ‘What can you do? It’s fate.’ They’ll just have to grin and bear it.”