Authorities in annexed Crimea and the city of Sevastopol on Monday began limiting drivers to 30 liters (7.9 gallons) of gasoline per purchase as fuel shortages continue to disrupt the Russian-occupied peninsula, despite Kremlin-installed officials assuring residents the crisis would ease within days.
The rationing affects two common types of gasoline used for automobiles: AI-92 and AI-95.
Moscow-appointed Crimean governor Sergei Aksyonov and Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said authorities aimed to lift rationing on AI-95 gasoline “in the coming days” and that they expect AI-92 stocks to normalize within a week if shipments from Russian refineries resume.
Last week, Aksyonov promised to restore supplies of AI-95 gasoline within two days and AI-92 within two weeks.
In Sevastopol, Razvozhayev imposed the same 30-liter limit and published schedules of stations and times where limited batches of gasoline would be sold throughout Monday.
Wholesale gasoline prices in Russia have surged in recent months, driven largely by Ukrainian drone attacks that have damaged oil refineries and forced shutdowns at several major facilities.
The fuel crisis has heavily impacted Crimea, with business media reporting last week that half of the peninsula’s gas stations had stopped selling gasoline altogether.
Prices have risen 40-50% since the start of the year, prompting the Russian government to order oil companies to activate reserve capacity, delay scheduled maintenance and coordinate rail shipments of fuel.
Federal authorities said they plan to extend Russia’s ban on gasoline exports through the end of the year.
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