Ukraine's refinery attacks force Russia to import gasoline as fuel crisis deepens
Drone strikes have slashed Russian gasoline output by a quarter, creating shortages that sent the Kremlin scrambling for emergency fuel shipments from India and Belarus while EV charging demand jumped 40%.
Ukrainian drone campaign targets Russia's refineries
Ukraine has launched an escalating series of drone strikes on Russian oil refineries and fuel depots over the past several months, with more than 50 attacks reported since March. In May alone, 16 refineries were hit, and in June strikes reached facilities in Moscow, Nizhnekamsk, Tyumen, and Volgograd. The campaign has turned the war's frontline into Russia's own energy heartland, sending black plumes over the capital and forcing President Vladimir Putin to open his showcase St. Petersburg economic forum under smoke-filled skies. In the week ending July 1, Ukraine launched 419 drones into Russian territory, including more than 60 toward Moscow, an attack that state media called the biggest on the capital since the war began.
- Putin's St. Petersburg economic forum opens under smoke from a nearby refinery strike
- Biggest drone attack on Moscow since war began hits oil refinery, black plumes cover the sky
- Rosatom reports 40% surge in EV charging demand as fuel shortages grow
- Putin publicly acknowledges a 'certain fuel shortage' for the first time
- 419 drones launched toward Russia in one week, including 60 toward Moscow
Gasoline output tumbles, queues form at filling stations
The sustained attacks have caused a 25% drop in Russian oil processing compared to last year, bringing the country's total crude throughput to 3.95 million barrels per day, the lowest level in more than two decades. Daily gasoline production has fallen to around 85,000 metric tons, while summer consumption sits at a minimum of 110,000 tons per day, creating an immediate deficit. As a result, between 40 and 78 Russian regions have imposed restrictions on fuel sales, and drivers in many cities are waiting hours to fill their tanks.
The disruptions are extraordinary.
This summer, Russia seems to be heading for possibly the worst fuel crisis in its history.
- Production
- 85000 tons/day
- Consumption
- 110000 tons/day
Russia turns to India and Belarus for emergency fuel
Faced with shortages, the world's second-largest oil producer has begun seaborne gasoline imports from India, with at least 60,000 tons already dispatched in two tankers. Moscow plans to import 400,000 tons of fuel per month from a variety of countries, including Belarus, which nearly tripled its rail gasoline deliveries to Russia in the first half of June to over 70,000 tons. The Russian parliament last week approved tax-code amendments offering import subsidies pegged to Indian delivery costs, an unusual reversal for a country that once exported freely to the same partners. India, meanwhile, sourced a record 53 percent of its crude oil imports from Russia in June, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz intensified its reliance on discounted Russian barrels.
- May 2026
- 36.5 %
- June 2026
- 53 %
EV charging demand surges as drivers seek alternatives
Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, reported that utilisation of its 290-plus electric vehicle charging stations jumped 40 percent during the week of June 21-28 as fuel shortages spread.
The domestic EV market remains small, with 208,000 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles registered by early April, but first-half plug-in hybrid sales rose 125 percent year-on-year to 24,600 units.I do not think the current situation will lead to an immediate switch to electric cars, but it will certainly prompt many car owners to think about choosing between internal combustion engines and electric in the future.
Putin concedes shortage, public trust slides
On June 28, Putin publicly acknowledged a "certain fuel shortage" for the first time, blaming Ukrainian drone strikes while insisting that the situation was "not critical." He imposed a total ban on gasoline exports. But polling data suggests the crisis is eroding public support. A Gallup survey from March to May found 60 percent of Russians believe their local economic conditions have worsened, the highest share in 20 years, and trust in the military fell from 79 to 66 percent. The independent Levada Center recorded Putin's job approval at 79 percent, the lowest since the chaotic 2022 mobilisation.
Putin was forced to admit openly that the problem exists, and above all, he pointed out the cause: Ukrainian drone strikes.
Reciprocal strikes hit Ukraine's fuel stations
Russia has also intensified its attacks on retail fuel infrastructure across Ukrainian front-line regions. Overnight on July 1, Russian strikes hit five fuel stations in the Dnipropetrovsk region, killing a woman and wounding three others. The southern city of Kherson saw a drone strike on a passenger bus that left two dead and five wounded. Authorities in Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk report almost daily attacks on fuel sites, mirroring the destruction on the other side of the border.
