Fuel rationing spreads from Crimea to Moscow amid drone strikes

Tuesday 02 June 2026 - 15:55

By: Dakir Madiha

Fuel rationing spreads from Crimea to Moscow amid drone strikes

Fuel restrictions have expanded closer to Russia’s capital as pressure mounts on the country’s energy infrastructure during an intensified wave of Ukrainian drone strikes. Stations in New Moscow have introduced purchase limits on gasoline and diesel, marking the most visible sign yet that supply disruptions are moving beyond peripheral regions and reaching the Moscow metropolitan area.

Retail outlets in the New Moscow administrative district have begun capping gasoline sales at 60 liters per customer and diesel at 100 liters per transaction. The measures follow weeks of tightening supply conditions linked to repeated drone attacks on Russian refineries and fuel transport networks. The constraints represent a shift from localized shortages in southern regions to restrictions affecting areas tied directly to the capital’s supply system.

Energy output indicators point to sustained pressure on refining capacity. Reported declines in diesel production during recent months have coincided with repeated disruptions at key facilities. Ukrainian drone operations have increasingly targeted refineries, storage sites, and logistics corridors used to move fuel across the country. The cumulative effect has reduced available refined products and strained distribution networks feeding both domestic consumption and occupied territories.

The crisis is more severe in Crimea, where authorities have introduced rationing through fuel coupons and strict purchase limits. Gasoline sales have been reduced to small allocations per vehicle, while certain fuel grades are available only under controlled distribution systems. Deliveries have been further complicated by disruptions along overland supply routes linking the peninsula to mainland Russia, intensifying shortages and forcing a near halt in free-market fuel sales in parts of the region.

Officials have linked the shortages to damage sustained by refining infrastructure and repeated strikes on transport assets used in fuel logistics. The situation has also prompted a national response on exports, with restrictions placed on outbound fuel shipments to prioritize domestic demand. The unfolding supply squeeze contrasts with earlier official assurances that internal fuel availability remained stable despite ongoing military pressures.