The gasoline shortage in Russia has already spread to 20 regions. While at the end of August fuel problems were reported in Transbaikalia, Primorye, the Kuril Islands, and occupied Crimea, in September the fuel shortage spread to a number of other regions, according to The Moscow Times, citing the independent Fuel Union of the Russian Federation.
Now, gasoline shortages are being observed in the Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Samara, Ulyanovsk, Penza, Rostov, and Astrakhan regions, as well as in Kalmykia and Tatarstan. In addition, supply problems have been reported in the Amur, Magadan, and Sakhalin regions, the Khabarovsk Territory, Yakutia, the Jewish Autonomous Region, and Chukotka.
Due to interruptions in the shipment of A-92 and A-95 gasoline, some gas stations have been forced to close or operate intermittently.
“Initially, the fuel shortage was local in nature, but now we can talk about its geographical expansion: more and more regions of Russia are facing a shortage,” admitted Dmitry Tortev, a member of the expert council of the State Duma’s competition protection committee.
According to him, the shortage, which began in remote regions, is gradually spreading to the European part of Russia.