Cossacks guard petrol stations in Russian resort as anger grows over fuel shortages
Fuel Shortages in Russia: Causes, Impact, and Response
By Jekaterina Golubkova
July 3 (Reuters) - Cossacks have been called in to keep order at petrol stations in a Russian holiday resort as authorities face growing anger over nationwide fuel shortages following a spate of Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries.
Background: Ukrainian Attacks and Russian Response
The attacks, following Russia's pounding of Ukrainian power facilities, have forced the world's third-biggest oil producer to import gasoline from as far away as India. Two industry sources said NORSI, Russia's fourth-largest refinery and second-largest gasoline producer, was the latest to suspend oil processing after a drone attack on Thursday.
Long queues of cars now snake back at filling stations across Russia as drivers feel the impact of the Ukrainian strikes, designed to put pressure on Russia to make peace after more than four years of war.
Political Fallout and Public Outcry
Two lawmakers from the Communist Party, which is nominally in opposition to the ruling United Russia faction but is usually fully supportive of the Kremlin, voiced scathing attacks on the government's handling of the issue ahead of a parliamentary election due in September.
One of them, Vyacheslav Markhayev, said people were queuing 36 hours to get just 15 litres of gasoline in the far eastern Zabaikalsky region.
He demanded to know why no lessons had been learned from earlier strikes on refineries, and said those responsible should be fired and prosecuted.
"These aren't just supply disruptions - this is a failure of state governance," Markhayev posted on social media.
Another Communist deputy, Nina Ostanina, questioned a statement this week by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak saying the market was adequately supplied with fuel. She asked why he would not "simply admit that nearly a third of our oil refineries are out of commission?"
Government Response and Task Force
President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on June 28 that fuel supply problems had created shortages in Russian regions and said a task force was working on ensuring sufficient quantities were provided throughout the country.
Cossacks Brought In to Maintain Order
Measures at Petrol Stations
COSSACKS BROUGHT IN TO 'PREVENT CONFLICTS'
In a sign of concern that motorists' tempers could boil over, authorities in the popular Black Sea resort of Anapa said Cossacks were helping keep order as cars lined up for fuel.
"They regulate traffic flow, prevent conflicts and attempts to fill petrol cans with fuel, and ensure that the queue is maintained in an orderly manner," the city administration said.
Cossacks are a historic military and social community known for their distinctive uniforms and fur hats. By tradition, Cossacks protected Russia's borderlands but have sometimes been used in recent years to back up the police.
Fuel Rationing and Local Impact
Like other places in Russia and parts of Russian-occupied Ukraine, Anapa restricts drivers to buying 20 litres of gasoline per car, which a resident, Aleksandra Nesterenko, told a local TV station was enough for about a week.
The changes have helped trim waiting times to 30 to 40 minutes from up to four hours, Arsen Melkumyan, an administration official, said in the video.
Anatoly Kasyanov, wearing a khaki uniform and a traditional fur hat, said in the video the Cossacks were "helping people navigate at the petrol station and preventing conflicts."
Wider Regional Effects and Law Enforcement
Anapa is one of the most crowded resorts in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, where energy infrastructure is a frequent target of Kyiv's air attacks.
Police in Krasnodar said they had detained two men after 1,000 litres of AI-95 gasoline was found in their car and that they were suspected of re-selling the fuel at a higher price.
The city of Novorossiysk, further south along the Black Sea coast, said on Friday it had suspended gasoline sales to private motorists, but state media said these later resumed.
Government Measures to Ease the Crisis
On Thursday, Russia allowed refiners to produce gasoline and diesel with higher sulphur content for six months until the end of the year, a government decree showed, adding to other measures taken to ease the crisis.
Ongoing Conflict and Outlook
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has proposed peace talks several times with Putin, but Russia has pressed on with the full-scale invasion it began in 2022. Both sides exchange attacks nearly daily.
(Reporting by Jekaterīna Golubkova in Tokyo; additional reporting by Reuters in Moscow, Mark Trevelyan in London and Felix Light in Almaty, Editing by Timothy Heritage)