Record gasoline prices in Russia blame Ukrainian attacks on refineries. But drivers also have other worries.

• Ukrainian drone attacks on refinery infrastructure in Russia are causing huge problems with oil processing.
• The Russian Ministry of Energy has imposed a ban on gasoline exports for all companies until August 31.
• Stocks were directed to the domestic market to avoid shortages at gas stations.

Massive Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refinery infrastructure and pipelines are causing significant damage, resulting in the need to temporarily suspend fuel production.

Drones are reaching plants located thousands of kilometers from the front line, disrupting operations. Recent attacks on fuel tanks in Sochi have led to a gasoline shortage throughout the region.

With these difficulties in mind, the Russian Ministry of Energy introduced a fuel export ban for companies that do not process crude oil themselves in March 2025. The ban is in effect until August 31st.

The Russian government has banned fuel companies from exporting gasoline.

However, faced with supply difficulties, on July 28 the government also banned oil companies from selling gasoline to foreign customers until August 31. The only exceptions are strategic contracts signed with China, Iran, and Kazakhstan.

Oil companies have already reduced export supplies, redirecting additional fuel volumes to the domestic market, the Ministry of Energy said in a statement.

According to data from the Moscow Association of Fuel Retailers, the average price of a liter of AI-92 gasoline at the capital's gas stations on Monday was 59 rubles. AI-95 fuel cost 65.1 rubles, and a liter of diesel fuel cost 71 rubles. To compare prices, it's worth comparing them to the dollar, which is currently valued at around 80 rubles.

Over the past month, the price of gasoline has increased by 1 ruble and diesel fuel by 0.5 rubles. According to official data, the price increase for the past six months has been negligible – between 2 and 4 percent.

However, wholesale prices are reaching new highs. The price of 95-octane unleaded gasoline on the St. Petersburg exchange reached a historic high on Tuesday, exceeding 77,000 rubles (3,550 PLN) per tonne. The previous record was set in September 2023, when a tonne of this fuel cost 76,876 rubles.

In the Russian countryside, people wait in lines for hours in front of gas stations.

However, this optimistic information applies to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and several other large cities. In the provinces, not to mention rural areas, the problem is not the price of fuel, but its shortage.

There's a shortage of supplies because many tankers have been diverted to the Ukrainian front to service military units. There's also a shortage of workers because they've been drafted into the army.

Kilometer-long queues, hours-long waits , limited sales - this is the reality in smaller towns in Russia.