Russia Eases Fuel Rations in 15 Regions After Kyiv Halts Refinery Attacks

Russia has removed gasoline purchase limits in 15 regions because fuel supplies have improved. The change matters because drivers in several areas can once again buy gasoline without the earlier restrictions. However, the improvement is uneven, so unrestricted sales do not mean Russia has solved its nationwide fuel problems.

Unrestricted sales resumed in Ryazan, Lipetsk, Voronezh, Novosibirsk and Sverdlovsk. They also resumed in Krasnodar and Stavropol territories. Restrictions were fully lifted in occupied Crimea and Sevastopol, where shortages had been especially severe. These changes followed a pause in Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.

Some limits remain. Customers in Tambov still face purchase caps, and filling portable containers is banned. Parts of the Leningrad region report disruptions, while stations in Yamalo-Nenets continue restricting sales. Fuel availability remains limited nationally, despite falling prices in dozens of regions.

Fuel rationing at a gas station means customers cannot buy unlimited amounts. A station may set a maximum volume, restrict certain fuel grades, or ban filling portable containers. The aim is to distribute limited supplies among more drivers instead of allowing a few customers to buy most of the available fuel.

The article gives a clear example in Russia’s Tambov region, where customers still face purchase limits and cannot fill portable fuel containers. Stations in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District also continue restricting sales. These rules show that supply conditions can differ sharply between regions, even while restrictions are lifted elsewhere.

Rationing may continue when refinery output, fuel deliveries or local stocks are insufficient. Russia’s uneven supply picture supports that explanation: on Oct. 28, AI-92 was available at 42% of stations, while AI-95 and diesel were available at 34% and 37%.

Fuel shortages remained widespread across Russia. On Oct. 28, AI-92 gasoline was available at only 42% of gas stations tracked by Benzonavt. AI-95 was available at 34%, and diesel at 37%. These shares mean most stations in the tracked data did not report those fuels as available at that time.

The shortage was even sharper for premium gasoline. AI-98 was available at just 1% of stations, while AI-100 was available at 3%. Benzonavt calculates availability from driver reports and open sources, so the figures provide a broad snapshot rather than a count of every station in Russia.

The numbers also explain why restrictions remained in some areas. Fuel supplies were improving, but they were not uniform nationwide. Some regions lifted limits, while Tambov, parts of Leningrad and Yamalo-Nenets still reported restrictions or disruptions.

Oil refineries turn crude oil into finished products such as gasoline and diesel. When attacks damage a refinery or force it to stop operating, less fuel can be produced and sent to distributors. That reduction can create shortages at gas stations, especially when demand is high. Russia’s gasoline use was estimated at 115,000 tons per day in summer.

The article links the easing of restrictions to a pause in Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure. It reports that the latest strikes targeted the Ryazan refinery on Oct. 15 and a facility in Surgut on Oct. 16. If refinery output falls, available fuel becomes tighter across the distribution network, and buyers may face limits or higher prices.

In this case, prices later declined in dozens of regions as supplies improved. Rosstat recorded price drops in 57 regions during Oct. 20-26, showing how changing supply conditions can affect prices.

The pause in Ukrainian attacks gave Russian oil infrastructure more time to operate without fresh strike-related disruption. Refineries returning from maintenance added processing capacity. Stronger security measures were intended to protect facilities and support steadier operations. These factors mattered because refineries supply the gasoline and diesel later sold through gas stations.

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister of Energy Alexander Novak said in mid-October that conditions were improving as refineries returned from maintenance and security measures were strengthened. The article also reports that Ukraine conducted only a handful of further attacks after calls from US President Donald Trump for Kyiv to stop striking Russian refineries.

The result was partial, not complete, recovery. Russia lifted restrictions in 15 regions, and prices fell in 57 regions during Oct. 20-26. Yet availability remained limited nationally, with AI-95 at 34% of stations on Oct. 28, while several regions still reported restrictions or disruptions.

Russia’s authorities shape the rules for fuel sales and security around oil infrastructure. Ukraine affects supply conditions through attacks on Russian refineries. The article reports that a pause in those attacks coincided with improved supplies, while Russia also strengthened security measures. These actions influence how much fuel can move through the national system.

Oil-refinery operators keep facilities producing fuel, including gasoline and diesel, or return them to service after maintenance. Gas-station networks receive and sell that fuel to drivers. If deliveries are disrupted or stocks are low, stations may impose purchase limits, restrict certain grades or ban portable containers. The Tambov and Yamalo-Nenets examples show how local networks respond differently.

Drivers therefore experience the combined result of national events and local supply. Fifteen regions lifted restrictions, but parts of Leningrad still faced disruptions. On Oct. 28, AI-92 was available at 42% of stations, showing that better conditions had not yet produced uniform access.

An oil refinery is a facility that processes crude oil into products people can use. Crude oil contains many different hydrocarbon compounds mixed together. A refinery first heats the crude so its components separate according to their boiling points. This initial separation produces streams that can become gasoline, diesel and other products.

Refineries then use additional processing to adjust those streams. Some heavier molecules are broken into lighter ones, and impurities such as sulfur are removed. Blending combines different refinery streams to create finished fuel grades with required properties. Gasoline grades such as AI-92 and AI-95 therefore come from refinery processing and blending, while diesel comes from another portion of the crude.

The article shows why refinery operations matter in Russia. Strikes, maintenance or stronger security can change output. When refineries return from maintenance, more fuel can reach stations. When output falls, supplies tighten, and stations may restrict sales or drivers may face higher prices.