Queues at gas stations due to the fuel crisis, which gradually subsided in July, are returning to Russian regions. Residents of at least 12 regions of the Russian Federation are complaining about the inability to easily fill up their cars and having to spend hours waiting, according to the publication 7×7. Queues are forming at gas stations in Krasnodar and Sochi, which previously had no fuel shortages, as well as in Gelendzhik. Meanwhile, Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratyev stated on July 30 that the gasoline situation in the region had stabilized.

Kaluga Oblast authorities attributed  the resurgence of gasoline queues to increased demand before the weekend and a desire to stock up. Meanwhile, in Smolensk , Gazprom, Lukoil, and Neftik stations have stopped selling AI-95 and AI-92 gasoline, while cars lined up at Rosneft stations are blocking intersections. In Rostov-on-Don, some gas stations have closed again , while queues have begun to form at others. Similar situations are observed in Tambov , Tula , Ulyanovsk , the Penza , Saratov , Ryazan , and Voronezh regions, as well as Primorsky Krai . Meanwhile, gas stations in some regions are allowing a maximum of 30 liters of fuel per tank.

The fuel crisis in Russia erupted in early June following Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries. Since the beginning of the year, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have disabled at least 26 refineries. By the end of July, only eight had returned to full operation, another 11 had partially restored production, and seven remained idle,  according to  the Financial Times, citing satellite data and analysis by S&P Global. As a result, according to  EA  Analytics, oil refining in Russia fell to its lowest level since May 2002—3.6 million barrels per day. This is approximately a third below the seasonal norm.

In response, the Russian government banned fuel exports, increased gasoline imports from Belarus by 25 times, and began purchasing gasoline from India and Morocco. The authorities also sharply lowered quality standards for gasoline producers and suppliers.

In early July, several refineries received permission to produce Euro-3 gasoline with a sulfur content of 150 mg/kg, but subsequently, the quality requirements were lowered to the Euro-2 standard, which was banned in Russia in 2013. The Ministry of Energy stated that this measure will remain in effect until July 1, 2027.

(c)THE MOSCOW TIMES 2026