Fuel shortages have resurfaced in parts of Russia, with authorities in at least 10 regions tightening restrictions on petrol sales as supplies come under pressure following a fresh wave of drone attacks on oil refineries.Petrol was unavailable at some filling stations in the Moscow region on Monday, while diesel remained available at most stations, according to Reuters citing witnesses. Regional authorities and media reports also pointed to renewed controls on fuel sales in several parts of the country.The latest shortages come just weeks after Russia had managed to ease an earlier fuel crisis. That disruption began building in May and spread to almost all regions by July, after drone attacks forced several refineries to shut down at a time when seasonal demand for fuel was rising.The government responded by restricting exports of petrol and diesel, relaxing some fuel quality requirements and bringing in petroleum products from abroad to increase domestic supplies. By the end of July, fuel availability had improved and some regions had either removed or eased restrictions.This comes after new series of drone attacks targeting Russian refineries in late July and early August again disrupted production, putting pressure on supplies and prompting regional authorities to reintroduce measures to control fuel sales.The Russian government said on Friday that fuel supplies remained difficult in several regions. Energy officials reviewed the situation in Orenburg, Lipetsk, Tver, Krasnodar, Zabaykalsky, Primorsky, Krasnoyarsk, Oryol, Tuva and Khakassia.The renewed pressure is also visible in wholesale markets. Average gasoline sales on the St Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange have fallen 20% since the beginning of August compared with the second half of July, according to exchange data.The fuel shortages highlight the vulnerability of Russia’s domestic energy market to repeated attacks on refining infrastructure. With refinery outages coinciding with seasonal demand and restrictions on fuel exports already in place, authorities are again facing pressure to ensure adequate supplies at petrol stations.The latest measures also come as Russia continues to deal with the wider impact of drone attacks on its energy infrastructure, which have increasingly targeted refineries and other oil facilities.
