Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on September 25, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Russian refinery shutdowns are causing fuel shortages in Crimea and other regions, linked to Ukrainian drone attacks and high borrowing costs.
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Sergei Aksyonov, the head of Russia-controlled Crimea, said on Thursday that disruptions in fuel supplies were related to the closure of some oil refineries as a gasoline crisis widened across Russia.
Several Russian regions were seeing shortages of certain fuel grades as Ukrainian drone attacks have reduced refinery runs, while high borrowing costs mean private filling stations can't afford to stockpile fuel, traders and retailers said.
"Due to the fact that some of the plants are physically not working, we have experienced problems and interruptions with fuel," Aksyonov said on a video posted on his Telegram channel, without saying the plants were attacked by Ukrainian drones.
There were no large queues forming at fuel stations, but certain grades of gasoline are frequently absent.
"Within two days, gasoline stations are expected to be supplied with the required amount of Ai 95 gasoline. The availability of Ai 92 gasoline will be resolved within two weeks," he said.
Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin said on Tuesday that further restrictions on fuel exports were possible if needed, the Interfax news agency reported.
(Reporting by Vladimir SoldatkinEditing by Bernadette Baum)
Fuel supply disruption refers to interruptions in the availability of fuel products, often caused by events like refinery shutdowns, which can lead to shortages in certain regions.
Oil refineries are industrial facilities that convert crude oil into useful products such as gasoline, diesel, and other petrochemicals through various refining processes.
Gasoline is a transparent, petroleum-derived liquid used primarily as fuel in internal combustion engines, commonly found in cars and other vehicles.
Borrowing costs are the expenses incurred by a borrower when taking out a loan, including interest rates and any associated fees.
A gasoline crisis is a situation characterized by a significant shortage of gasoline supply, often leading to increased prices and long queues at fuel stations.
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