Russia formalizes fuel rationing as crisis hits military operations

Russia's escalating fuel crisis has crossed a threshold that the Kremlin can no longer dismiss as a civilian inconvenience. Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries are now disrupting military logistics, with volunteer supply networks collapsing and Russian troops reportedly abandoning functioning hardware on the battlefield for lack of fuel.

Military Operations Disrupted

Independent Russian outlet Verstka reported that volunteer organizations responsible for delivering critical supplies to Russian troops — from drones to body bags — have begun cancelling trips because fuel is unavailable along routes through occupied Ukraine. The Krasnodar-based foundation Dobrotvortsy reported shortages along roads in occupied Zaporizhzhia, while the group Reliable Rear said the fuel situation in the war zone had "reached a boiling point".Novaya Gazeta Europe

In one incident that underscored the operational impact, Ukraine's 7th Rapid Response Corps reported on July 9 that Russian troops abandoned a fully operational T-72 tank during a retreat after it ran out of fuel. Ukrainian paratroopers recovered the tank without firing a shot, refueled it, and deployed it against Russian forces on the Sloviansk direction.Ukraine Today .org+1

Putin Calls Crisis 'Temporary'

On July 21, President Vladimir Putin described the fuel market difficulties as "temporary" during a meeting on economic issues, insisting they would not affect broader economic performance. "The difficulties being created for us in the fuel market are, of course, temporary in nature and are not capable of affecting economic dynamics," Putin said, according to TASS.Nashaniva.com+1

The reassurance came as Reuters Thomson Reuters Corporation ↘ 3.61% reported that Russian gasoline output had fallen to roughly 65% of seasonal demand following drone-induced shutdowns at major refineries including NORSI and Omsk. The daily shortfall widened to 35% in early July, up from 25% in June.Reuters

Rationing by Priority

Russia's government has formalized a fuel distribution hierarchy that places ordinary drivers last. According to minutes of meetings led by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and reviewed by Kommersant, petroleum products are allocated first to government contractors, municipal services, defense enterprises, Russian Railways, and farmers — followed by occupied Crimea and other occupied Ukrainian territories — before any fuel reaches gas stations.UA.NEWS

The State Duma has also passed amendments increasing federal compensation to oil companies through the damping mechanism, with refiners receiving over 716 billion rubles in subsidies during April and May alone. Meanwhile, Russia has imposed a full ban on exports of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, and begun importing petroleum products from Belarus and India in what amounts to a reversal for one of the world's largest oil producers.CGTN+3