In annexed Crimea, authorities have imposed a limit on gasoline sales—no more than 20 liters per person per day. The decision was announced the day before by the Russian-appointed “authorities” on the peninsula and applies to AI-95 gasoline.
Many gas stations have already run out of gasoline. At some stations, it is being issued with coupons, while long lines of cars are forming where fuel remains available for open sale. Local public channels have been posting footage of the queues.
The shortage is being linked to strikes by Ukrainian drones, which are remotely mining the road between Crimea and Rostov region. The drones drop explosive devices onto the road that detonate when they detect movement. The situation worsened after Ukraine’s armed forces began striking roads along the land corridor to the peninsula—including fuel trucks.
The route remains one of the key channels for supplying fuel to Crimea. Gasoline is also delivered by ferries across the Kerch Strait, but ferry operations depend on weather conditions. Fuel is not transported across the Kerch Bridge for security reasons.