Long queues snaking for kilometres, frustrated drivers arguing and trading blows at petrol stations, and pumps running dry across dozens of regions — these are the visible signs that Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign against Russian oil infrastructure has finally reached ordinary citizens inside Russia. What began as targeted strikes on refineries has evolved into a broader economic and social pressure point, forcing President Vladimir Putin to publicly acknowledge fuel shortages for the first time in the more-than-four-year conflict.

The Escalating Campaign Against Russian Refineries

Since early 2026, and with particular intensity from May onward, Ukrainian forces have dramatically stepped up drone attacks on Russian energy targets. More than two dozen refineries have been hit, including eight of the country’s ten largest. Key facilities struck include the Kapotnya refinery near Moscow (hit multiple times and expected to remain offline until at least the end of 2026), the massive Omsk refinery in Siberia, as well as plants in Ryazan, Yaroslavl, Nizhnekamsk, Volgograd, Saratov, and others.

Analysts estimate that between 20% and over 40% of Russia’s total oil refining capacity has been disabled at various points. Refinery throughput in May fell to its lowest level in 16 years, averaging around 4.58 million barrels per day. Gasoline production dropped sharply — by about 25% year-on-year in mid-June — while overall refined product output declined roughly 13%.

Russia remains one of the world’s largest crude oil producers and exporters, but it relies heavily on domestic refining capacity to supply gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel for its own population, military, agriculture, and industry. Striking the refineries creates a bottleneck that crude exports cannot easily bypass.

Widespread Shortages and Regional Restrictions

By late June 2026, fuel shortages and restrictions had spread to the vast majority of Russia’s regions. Independent tallies showed between 55 and 78 of the 83 federal entities experiencing either government-imposed limits or supply problems at private stations. This affected an estimated 50 million people — roughly 35% of the population.

In occupied Crimea, authorities declared a state of emergency, banned civilian fuel sales at times, and prioritised military and essential logistics. Rolling power outages compounded the difficulties. In Siberia, lines stretched for kilometres; in one Zabaikalye district, garbage collection was suspended due to lack of fuel for trucks. Even Moscow and St. Petersburg saw stations with no fuel or strict purchase limits (often 20 litres per vehicle).

Many regions introduced rationing systems, odd-even licence plate rules, and bans on filling jerry cans. Black-market reselling at triple the normal price emerged in some areas, prompting police intervention. Jet fuel shortages also forced restrictions on aircraft refuelling in several cities.

Scenes of Desperation: Queues Turn Violent

The most striking images and videos circulating on social media and in Western and independent Russian media show the human friction at petrol stations. Drivers wait for hours — in some Siberian cases, up to 13 hours for half a tank. Impatience boils over into arguments, shoving, and outright fistfights.

Footage from Ryazan shows men exchanging punches on a forecourt. In Moscow, women scream accusations of queue-jumping, with threats like “I’ll smash your face in!” In Serov, a woman reportedly suffered a bloodied nose after a confrontation. Other clips depict people yanking pumps away from alleged queue-jumpers or bystanders intervening in brawls. One Siberian resident told reporters she blamed “this senseless conflict” for the chaos.

These incidents are not isolated. Reports describe Cossacks deployed to maintain order in southern regions, police drawing weapons to calm crowds, and even attempts to impersonate officials to jump lines. The atmosphere at many stations has become tense and unpredictable, turning a routine errand into a stressful ordeal.

Putin’s Admission and Moscow’s Response

On 28–29 June 2026, Putin broke from the usual narrative of downplaying domestic problems. In meetings with officials and oil executives, and later in a state television interview, he acknowledged “a certain shortage” of fuel, noting persistent queues and difficulties obtaining specific grades of petrol. He admitted Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure were “obviously creating problems,” though he insisted the situation was “not critical.”

The Kremlin has responded with several measures:

• Temporary bans on exports of gasoline and jet fuel (with diesel export restrictions under consideration).
• Drawing down strategic reserves (which fell about 4% year-on-year).
• Establishing a 24/7 task force to monitor and manage supply.
• Allowing production of lower-grade fuels and exploring gasoline imports from abroad — an unusual step for a major oil exporter.
• Pledges to accelerate refinery repairs and boost air defences.

Putin also highlighted the need to protect agricultural fuel supplies ahead of the harvest season. Despite these steps, prices have risen sharply — with gasoline jumping around 3% in a single week in mid-June and hitting multi-year highs in some metrics.

Economic and Strategic Ripple Effects

The crisis extends beyond motorists. Farmers worry about diesel for harvesting equipment. Aviation and logistics face constraints. Tourism in Crimea has suffered. For Russia’s military, the disruption of domestic fuel supplies adds another layer of logistical strain, even as the country continues its operations in Ukraine.

Strategically, Ukraine’s campaign aims to reduce the revenue Russia earns from energy exports while complicating its ability to sustain a prolonged war. By hitting refining capacity rather than just crude production or export terminals, Kyiv targets the part of the supply chain most directly linked to domestic stability and military mobility.

Russia has proven resilient in the past, repairing damaged facilities and rerouting supplies. However, repeated strikes, combined with Western sanctions that hinder access to certain repair components, have prolonged the recovery time for major plants like Kapotnya.

Pressure Without Immediate Collapse

As of mid-July 2026, the fuel situation remains fluid but serious. Most regions continue to report restrictions, and Ukrainian strikes have not stopped. While Russia has avoided a total nationwide collapse of fuel supplies, the visible daily impact — empty pumps, long waits, and occasional violence — has made the war’s costs harder to ignore for ordinary Russians far from the front lines.

Whether this domestic pressure will influence Kremlin decision-making remains uncertain. Putin has framed the shortages as temporary and blamed Ukrainian “terrorist attacks,” while promising systemic fixes. Independent analysts note that sustained pressure on refining capacity could force difficult choices between exports (a key revenue source) and domestic needs.

For now, the images of Russians queuing and clashing over fuel serve as a stark reminder that modern drone warfare can bring distant conflicts directly to the home front — one petrol station at a time.

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