[77817] Acute fuel crisis in the Crimean Peninsula: long queues and severe supply shortages

Severe fuel crisis in the Crimean Peninsula

The Crimean Peninsula, which is under Russian occupation, is in the midst of an acute fuel crisis that has led to the imposition of drastic restrictions on gasoline sales. According to reports from Ukrainian channels reporting on the war and opposing the Russian occupation, such as Лачен пише and Оперативний ЗСУ, the situation has deteriorated to the point of selling 95 octane gasoline via coupons only, while 92 octane gasoline is limited to only 20 liters per person.

According to Times of Ukraine, logistical problems have worsened, with fuel tanker drivers refusing to travel to the peninsula due to fear of Ukrainian drone activity, which is creating "kilometers of queues" at empty gas stations. Цензор.НЕТ notes that as of May 31, the purchase of fuel in canisters was prohibited, and that local authorities, including the collaborator Aksyonov, acknowledged the situation and hope to normalize it within a month.

Additional sources, including DW Україна, confirm that even official figures in the Russian occupation, such as the "governor" of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev, admitted to the existence of "logistical difficulties" causing shortages in 92 and 95 octane gasoline as well as diesel. DW notes that severe disruptions have been recorded across Crimea as many gas stations were left without fuel at all, and that in some places, the sale of coupons to private citizens was halted and remains available only to companies with existing contracts.

Ukrainian social media channels report that the situation has reached a peak of "fuel collapse", with locals using ironic terms to describe the depth of the shortage. Ukrainian authorities reporting on what is happening in the occupied territories emphasize that this is a direct result of precise strikes by the Ukrainian defense forces on Russian logistics arteries, leading to a reality where "fuel has completely run out."