Putin Convenes Emergency Fuel Meeting as Gasoline Shortages Hit Russia Amid Ukrainian Strikes

Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly acknowledged Sunday that drivers across the country are still waiting in lines for gasoline and often cannot find the fuel they need, despite emergency measures aimed at containing a deepening fuel crisis triggered by refinery disruptions.

Speaking at an unscheduled Kremlin meeting with senior officials and executives from Russia’s largest energy companies, Putin admitted that shortages continue to affect both consumers and businesses.

“Problems remain for both motorists and businesses,” Putin said. “Unfortunately, there are still queues at gas stations, and the required grade of gasoline cannot always be found.”

The Kremlin convened the meeting as fuel shortages spread across nearly all Russian regions, with around 22 introducing official restrictions on gasoline sales at filling stations. Farmers have also reported difficulties securing fuel during the peak summer agricultural season.

To ease the crisis, Putin said Russia has banned exports of gasoline and aviation fuel, redirected previously accumulated reserves to the domestic market, and ordered small and medium-sized refineries to maximize production alongside larger plants. Authorities are also considering halting diesel exports to boost domestic supplies.

Putin said Russia currently holds 1.7 million metric tons of gasoline in reserve. According to Reuters estimates, that would cover about 15 days of peak summer demand or roughly two months of the country’s current daily gasoline deficit.

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Despite those measures, Putin acknowledged that deeper reforms are needed, saying the fuel market requires “systemic measures that correspond to the scale of the current challenges.”

One option now under consideration is importing gasoline – an unusual step for one of the world’s largest oil producers.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Sunday that Russia is already importing between 100,000 and 150,000 metric tons of gasoline per month from Belarus and is negotiating additional supplies with Kazakhstan, although only one Kazakh refinery is considered capable of exporting fuel to Russia.

The shortages follow months of Ukrainian long-range drone strikes targeting Russia’s oil refining infrastructure. Reuters estimates Russia’s fuel production fell 25% year-on-year in June and is now running about 20% below domestic demand.

Of Russia’s largest refineries, only the Omsk refinery – with an annual processing capacity of 22 million metric tons – has avoided Ukrainian strikes over the past two months and continues operating at full capacity.