Today, the biggest news comes from the Russian Federation.

Here, from Belgorod to the Far East, Ukraine’s refinery strike campaign has triggered a nationwide fuel collapse, with the effect being felt from the frontlines in Ukraine, to the capital cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

The Russian state has officially blamed seasonal demand and harvest pressure, but the real cause is undeniable: repeated drone strikes have wiped out a significant portion of Russia’s fuel production, storage, and distribution network, and public unrest is starting to grow.

At least ten regions report widespread shortages

Russian officials have admitted that there is no longer enough fuel to meet domestic demand, and now the situation has moved far beyond regional issues, as, according to both state and independent sources, at least ten Russian regions are reporting widespread fuel shortages. These include Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Rostov, Leningrad Oblast, the Primorsky and Zabaikalsky regions in the Far East, as well as in Russian-controlled territories of Ukraine. 

Russia’s Independent Fuel Union has confirmed that deliveries to many stations have stopped completely. Some private fuel stations have shut down entirely, and others have imposed strict limits on purchases, banning canister refills or requiring pre-approval by local authorities. In areas where stations are still operating, drivers face queues several kilometers long all around Russia, as widespread rations are being introduced.

Frontline troops forced to wait hours for rationed fuel

On the front lines, the situation is even worse, as in Donetsk and Luhansk, Russian soldiers are forced to wait in two-to three-hour lines for refueling. Even then, fuel is rationed, and troops are increasingly paying out of pocket.

In Berdiansk, gas stations are completely out of fuel, forcing civilians to search the entire city for supplies. Melitopol has reportedly not received a single delivery since early September.

All of this coincides with the repeated targeting of depots, pumping stations, and distribution pipelines by Ukrainian drones. As a result, Russian-controlled territories in Ukraine are just as paralyzed as those in Russia-proper.

This has serious operational implications, with armored movements stalling and logistics chains heavily degraded.

Shortages reach Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and the Far East

The home front is not faring much better, as shortages have even spread into Moscow and Saint Petersburg, including surrounding districts. In Leningrad Oblast, the Lukoil network has banned all canister refills. In the Far East, long queues in Primorsky Krai have forced regional officials to introduce a coupon system to receive fuel.

In Belgorod, entire districts have run out of everything except for the most expensive A100 gasoline and diesel. The situation in Crimea is even more fragile, as half of all fuel stations on the peninsula have shut down entirely.

In Simferopol, Sevastopol, and Feodosia, coupons are now required for any purchase and are being resold on black markets and Russian online marketplaces.

In total, 360 gas stations have currently shut down due to lack of fuel, with 14% being out of commission in the south, usually known for its plentiful and cheap supplies.

Public unrest builds as prices surge 50 percent

Public unrest is beginning to build, as the Russian Communist Party has staged protests at major gas stations, questioning why domestic prices are rising in an oil-rich country.

Since the beginning of the year, fuel prices have surged by more than 50 percent, a clear sign that price controls are failing to keep up with reality. However, the supply side tells the real story, as private gas station owners, who control approximately 40 percent of the Russian market, are shutting down.

Kremlin censors data as crisis deepens

The Russian Energy Ministry has quietly stopped publishing regional breakdown of fuel availability to prevent further public concern, and maintenance schedules at major refineries like in Omsk are being postponed, not for efficiency, but because taking them offline for repair would trigger further shortages across the country.

Running out of options, movements of heavy tankers have been spotted in Crimea to lighten the crisis slightly, however almost immediately these were struck by Ukrainian drones, as Russians are quickly running out of options.

Energy officials die under suspicious circumstances

Last week, President Vladimir Putin summoned the heads of Russia’s major oil companies to the Kremlin for urgent talks. And just days before, the CEO of Russia’s state nuclear agency was found dead in the streets of Moscow, laying near his car with a rifle beside him and a suicide note; being the 20th Russian energy official to die under suspicious circumstances.

A structural crisis with no clear solution

Overall, Ukraine’s oil strike campaign has forced Russia into a structural energy crisis. The Russian state can no longer guarantee consistent fuel supplies to either the military or the public. Shortages have reached the heart of the country, prices are spiraling upward, and key officials are dying under unclear circumstances.

The Kremlin is trying to project control, but the system is faltering, not just from damage, but from the sheer scale of dysfunction now embedded in the Russian energy sector.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.