Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries plunge Russia into a summer fuel crisis

Queues are growing longer at gas stations in Russia – as frustration and uncertainty grow over months of Ukrainian attacks He set fire to oil refineries and supplies were overwhelmed for motorists across the vast country.

In many regions, fuel was rationed and car queues lasted for hours on the roadsides. Social media videos show drivers terrified by queues or cursing empty gas pumps and rising prices. The mayor of the Siberian city of Irkutsk even ordered the introduction of portable toilets to accommodate those in line.

The fuel crisis, unprecedented for a country that is one of the world’s largest energy producers, brought Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine home to ordinary Russians, like few other events in the war. now in its fifth year.

It has received rare recognition from President Vladimir PutinHe acknowledged that “problems remain for both motorists and businesses” and that “there are still queues at petrol stations and it is not always easy to find the right quality of petrol.”

Putin emphasized that the shortcomings were “not critical” and “temporary”.

But that did little to reassure at least one driver in the wealthy capital Moscow, which is better insulated against economic shocks than the rest of the country.

“I think the situation is not very good,” the driver waiting in line told The Associated Press the day after Putin’s televised remarks.

“They say one thing on television, and in reality it’s another. … People are queuing everywhere,” he added, declining to identify himself out of concern for his safety.

Ukraine has repeatedly achieved its energy targets

The AP count shows more than 50 attacks Ukraine has reported against oil refineries, warehouses, terminals and other oil infrastructure in Russia and Russia. Illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula Since the end of March. Often the same facility is hit multiple times; for example, when the refinery in the Black Sea town of Tuapse was hit four times in just over two weeks.

As a result, the amount of crude oil Russia converted into fuel in June fell 25% from a year ago to 3.95 million barrels per day, Energy Intelligence oil market analyst Gary Peach said. This is the lowest level in more than two decades.

“The outages are extraordinary,” he said.

Gasoline production fell 17% to 850,000 barrels per day from 1.03 million barrels per day a year ago; This is well below what is needed for the domestic market. Russia exports relatively small amounts of gasoline.

Macro-Advisory Ltd. About a third of Russia’s oil refining capacity is offline, Chris Weafer, CEO of the Consultancy, said, adding that his estimate comes from anecdotal evidence and oil industry sources, as refineries have not publicly confirmed the extent of damage.

“It comes at a very critical time for the Russian economy, when the agricultural season, especially the harvest season, is now starting to accelerate,” Weafer said.

Ukrainian officials describe the strikes as a campaign put pressure on Moscow ending the war by undermining military logistics and supply lines and weakening the ability to mount attacks along the front.

Kiev, in particular, tried to isolate Crimea, which was taken from Ukraine in 2014, in a move that most countries do not recognize. Attacks earlier this year In May he forced authorities in Moscow to ration the peninsula’s fuel and, a few weeks later, to completely halt sales to civilians. Limited sales later resumed in the city of Sevastopol.

Attacks and fuel shortages spread

Ukraine performed major drone attacks Images of clouds of black smoke in Russia’s two largest cities circulating widely online despite regulations restricting their broadcast have embarrassed the Kremlin.

Attack on oil terminal on June 3 in St. Petersburg The skies darkened as Putin prepared to host his annual economic forum to attract foreign investment. On June 18, a similar cloud rose from the Moscow Oil Refinery on the outskirts of the capital, raining down oily black droplets.

In late June, more than half of Russia’s regions were reported to have some form of gas rationing in place. Some imposed strict restrictions on all gas stations; in others, gas station chains limited the amount of fuel that could be purchased.

Authorities blamed hoarding and panic buying and urged drivers to fill up their tanks only when necessary.

Gasoline and aviation fuel exports were restricted, and authorities also focused on banning diesel fuel exports.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that contacts with some countries “continue” and that fuel imports are also being considered. He called the move “another step towards stabilizing the market and one aimed at reducing panic buying.”

Famines in Siberia

The shortage has also reached remote parts of Russia, where Ukrainian drones have not hit any refineries.

Viktor Shkurenko, who owns retail stores and other businesses in the Omsk region, called the announcement there to limit the sale of gasoline up to 40 liters (10.5 gallons) per vehicle “unexpected.”

Expressing his concern about how the borders would affect his business, he said, “Nothing has been bombed here. We have the largest oil refinery in Siberia, and this gave us confidence that this fuel crisis will not happen to us.” However, he said that as of Saturday, his company had no problems refueling its vehicles.

Media reports in Zabayakalye, a Siberian region east of Lake Baikal, reported that a garbage truck suspended pickups and some bus services were restricted.

In addition to ordering portable toilets outside gas stations, the city of Irkutsk also increased public transport fares starting Wednesday, citing rising fuel costs.

Pavel Kharitonenko, acting chairman of the Irkutsk branch of the opposition Yabloko party, told the AP that he now finds it easier to walk or use public transportation.

“I don’t have gas and I don’t want to stand in line at gas stations,” he said. Kharitonenko said the Irkutsk region, home to the Rosneft oil refinery, has been experiencing serious shortages for several days and lines have grown.

It will take time to repair the refineries

Russia’s gasoline stocks are only 4% lower than last year, Putin said. “There is reportedly a good supply of fuel across the country. The problem is it’s in the wrong place,” says analyst Weafer.

Weafer said supplies need to be reallocated to areas experiencing shortages and that in a large country like Russia, “this is not something that can be done overnight.”

“It should be enough, but it will take a few weeks to get it from where it is to where it is needed,” he says. “It’s a huge logistical operation to do this.”

Repairing war-damaged refineries is complex. Ukraine’s attacks damaged special equipment, often sourced from abroad; Repairs have become time-consuming and expensive as workarounds or replacements are sought to evade sanctions.

“They manage to get these up and running, although not at full capacity,” Peach said. “But the extent of the damage this time is so great that they will not be able to return to winter refining levels this summer.”

He said some refineries were not worth repairing until a ceasefire or truce was reached because “they would be destroyed again.”

Weafer said the repair of the Moscow Oil Refinery, which provides 40% of fuel to the capital and the surrounding region, is expected to take at least three months.

He predicted that barring further damage to Russia’s oil infrastructure, the shortage would last “probably throughout the summer” as demand from agriculture remains high until September.

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Associated Press writers David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, and Hanna Arhirova in Kiev, Ukraine, contributed.