13 July 2026
The fuel crisis in Russia has begun to impact government procurement of gasoline and diesel fuel. In May and June, the number of cancelled, failed, or rescheduled tenders for medical institutions, utilities, and emergency services tripled compared to the previous year, according to Izvestia. According to the newspaper, suppliers have found it unprofitable to work under fixed-price government contracts. While the tender process is ongoing, the market price of fuel rises, so companies prefer to sell gasoline through retail chains or to commercial clients instead of participating in government procurement.
For example, the Samara Regional Medical Center “Dynasty” was unable to purchase 8,500 liters of AI-92 gasoline for 580,000 rubles—not a single bid was received. For the same reason, a bid for 28,000 liters of AI-95 gasoline for the “Darina” rehabilitation center in the Leningrad Region was cancelled. The Tambov administration’s motor depot, which had attempted to purchase gasoline and diesel fuel for 2 million rubles, was also left without a supplier. And in the Vladimir Region, a tender for 2.2 million rubles by the Gorelectroset company was declared invalid.
In Stavropol, the fire and emergency rescue service had to renew the fuel procurement notice several times, after which a contract was awarded to a single supplier. The Tuapse Social Services Center in Krasnodar Krai ultimately purchased fuel using a similar scheme.
For now, hospitals, fire departments, public transportation, and utilities are supplied with fuel from reserves and priority deliveries. However, experts warn that if the deficit persists, budget expenditures on procurement will increase, and repeat tenders will become more common. According to Freedom Global analyst Vladimir Chernov, buyers will be forced to increase initial contract prices in line with the market.
According to the expert, remote areas will be the most vulnerable, as disruptions to procurement could lead to regular supply disruptions. As a result, municipalities will have to postpone maintenance work, reduce “non-essential” travel, and increase public transportation intervals, Chernov believes.
Sergei Kaufman, an analyst at FINAM, shares a similar opinion. He also notes the sharp rise in fuel prices. According to Rosstat, gasoline prices have increased by 13.9% and diesel by 14.7% since the beginning of the year. In some regions, prices have jumped even more, with a liter of AI-92 gasoline now costing over 80 rubles. Under these circumstances, Kaufman believes it will still be more profitable for suppliers to sell fuel to industrial customers and independent gas stations rather than participate in government procurement.
According to Energy Intelligence estimates , half of Russia’s oil refining capacity is currently idle due to the Ukrainian attacks, and refinery utilization in the first week of July fell to 3.53 million tons per day. According to Reuters, gasoline production fell by 35% in the second week of the month , to 75,000-80,000 tons per day, compared to a typical summer domestic consumption level of 115,000-120,000 tons.