Fuel crisis in Crimea as annual maintenance and Ukrainian drone strikes take their toll 

Over half of the petrol stations in Russian-annexed Crimea are currently closed amid an acute fuel shortage in Russia caused by concentrated Ukrainian drone strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure, state-affiliated daily Kommersant reported on Thursday.

Though fuel supplies on the Crimean Peninsula are particularly severe, according to Kommersant, the shortage is being felt throughout Russia, with at least 360 petrol stations being forced to close temporarily in the third quarter of 2025 alone. 

Russia’s Southern Federal District, which includes the major Black Sea coastal cities of Sochi and Novorossiysk, has been one of the regions most affected by the fuel shortage, with over 220 petrol stations closing in the district — 14.2% of the total.

Industry analysts told the newspaper that the countrywide petrol crisis was caused by a 10% decrease in overall Russian fuel production, which was brought about by a combination of planned infrastructure maintenance and continued Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries.

Crimean residents who spoke to Novaya Gazeta Europe reported seeing long queues at functioning petrol stations and sharp price rises at the pumps, adding that the situation had worsened over the past 10 days.

“You used to be able to call the hotline and find out which stations had petrol. Now the hotlines just say that there isn’t any,” said local resident Anastasia, adding that petrol stations prioritise businesses and organisations with special fuel coupons.

While Russia experiences a seasonal fuel deficit around the summer every year as oil refineries undergo maintenance, this year’s shortage has been much more acute. Earlier this month, Novaya Gazeta Europe estimated that Ukrainian drones had disabled at least one-sixth of Russia’s oil refining capacity in 2025, leaving numerous refineries idle throughout the year.

Industry traders told Novaya Europe that they expected the shortage to last until at least the onset of winter, and potentially even into 2026.