Russian Troops Ration Fuel at 20 Liters a Day as Refinery Output Sinks to 3.91 Million Bpd
Updated
Updated · Kyiv Post · Jul 22
Russian Troops Ration Fuel at 20 Liters a Day as Refinery Output Sinks to 3.91 Million Bpd
3 articles · Updated · Kyiv Post · Jul 22
Summary
Russian soldiers told Verstka gasoline deliveries have been cut so sharply that some vehicles now get just 20 liters a day, while others receive only 10-15 liters for supply runs.
Those limits are disrupting frontline logistics: one mobilized soldier said fuel supplies are down about 30%, and troops in Zaporizhzhia now walk 11 kilometers to fetch water and food.
Fuel scarcity is also raising out-of-pocket costs, with troops buying gasoline from locals at 200-300 rubles a liter and one unit near Kursk expecting generator fuel bills to rise to 70,000 rubles a month.
The squeeze follows a collapse in Russian refining, with Energy Aspects estimating crude processing fell to 3.91 million barrels per day in July—more than 1.4 million bpd below last year's average and the lowest since 2005.
Ukraine has kept up strikes on Russia's oil network, likely hitting 24 of 34 major refineries in about 50 attacks over 100 days, a campaign Kyiv says is meant to pressure Moscow into talks.
Ukraine's drone swarms have paralyzed Crimea. Is this the new playbook for defeating a superpower's logistical might?
As Crimeans face a 'Stone Age' crisis, will their loyalty to Moscow fracture before the peninsula is fully isolated?
Crimea 2026: Infrastructure Collapse, Economic Crisis, and the Escalating Ukraine-Russia Conflict
Overview
As of July 2026, ongoing Ukrainian strikes have triggered a severe infrastructure crisis in Crimea, disrupting daily life and the economy. Residents face persistent blackouts and fuel shortages, leading to widespread frustration and a sense that life is unsustainable. The near breakdown of connections with mainland Russia has made transporting goods extremely difficult, causing shipping companies to avoid the region and leaving businesses like local wineries under blockade. This has paralyzed key sectors and deepened the humanitarian crisis, highlighting how continued attacks have isolated Crimea and strained its ability to function normally.