Putin Deploys National Guard to Gas Stations as Fuel Shortages Hit 78 of 83 Russian Regions
Updated
Updated · The Daily Beast · Aug 20
Putin Deploys National Guard to Gas Stations as Fuel Shortages Hit 78 of 83 Russian Regions
3 articles · Updated · The Daily Beast · Aug 20
Summary
Rosgvardia units were sent to gas stations outside Moscow after fuel shortages triggered fights at pumps and lines of up to 30 hours.
Ukraine’s expanded drone campaign against Russian energy infrastructure drove the crunch, with August strikes hitting nearly a third of Russia’s major oil refineries.
Only about 28% of Russian gas stations had enough gasoline and diesel, while suppliers reimposed purchase limits despite Kremlin claims that conditions were improving.
The shortage had already spread to 78 of 83 regions and affected about 50 million people, as authorities detained residents in Volgograd and Perm for protesting or filming appeals.
The fuel crisis adds to wider wartime strain, with Sochi hit by a Ukrainian offensive and Russians pulling $3.4 billion from banks in early August.