Azernews.Az

A growing gasoline shortage is reportedly hitting Moscow and other parts of Russia, with fuel availability at filling stations falling to unprecedented levels, according to data compiled by the Russian fuel-monitoring service GdeBENZ.

The service’s data indicate that gasoline was available at only around 28% of monitored filling stations across Russia on August 19, down from roughly 40% at the beginning of August. The figure fell to a low of 27% on August 18, according to the platform.

The situation appears particularly severe in the Moscow area. In the Moscow region, the share of stations reporting available fuel fell from 62% on August 6 to 23% on August 19. Within Moscow itself, availability declined from 53% to approximately 20%, meaning that only about one in five monitored stations had gasoline available.

GdeBENZ relies on reports from motorists indicating whether individual filling stations have fuel and whether it can be purchased without lengthy queues. The data therefore provide an indication of actual fuel availability experienced by consumers, rather than official nationwide supply figures.

The platform’s charts suggest that Russia is experiencing a second wave of fuel shortages after an earlier deterioration in June. Following a temporary improvement, gasoline availability began falling sharply again in August.

The shortages are not limited to the capital. On August 19, the share of monitored stations with fuel stood at around 17% in Krasnodar Krai, 18% in Voronezh region, 21% in Penza region, 23% in Rostov region and just 15% in Arkhangelsk region.

Some regions were in a relatively better position but still recorded significant shortages, including Chelyabinsk region at 34%, Nizhny Novgorod region at 35% and Perm Krai at 33%.

The latest deterioration has raised concerns that Russia's fuel problems may represent more than a temporary disruption. Analysts have pointed to refinery maintenance, logistical difficulties and disruptions to oil-processing capacity as contributing factors, while Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure have added pressure to the country's refining system.

A Ukrainian drone was recently reported to have struck a major oil refinery in Tatarstan, while Russian pro-war bloggers have also drawn attention to gasoline shortages.

The GdeBENZ figures are user-generated and do not constitute official Russian government statistics, but the sharp decline recorded across multiple regions suggests that gasoline availability has become an increasingly visible problem for Russian motorists.