
Stations have run out of fuel in some regions of Russia after Ukrainian drones hit refineries and other oil infrastructure in recent weeks. Russian drivers have been seen waiting in long queues.
Wholesale prices on the St. Petersburg International Trade Exchange for A-95 gasoline — the highest octane — hit record levels last week, rising to about 50% more than in January, as demand surged from farmers looking to harvest and Russians heading out for their summer vacation.
Russian media report that fuel shortages are hitting consumers in several regions in the Far East and the Crimean Peninsula, which was illegally annexed from Ukraine by Moscow in 2014.
Media in the Primorye region, which borders North Korea, reported long queues and prices of about 78 rubles per liter (approximately $1 per liter) at gas stations in the area, where the average monthly wage is about $1,200. Journalists at local news agency Primpress found other drivers trying to sell fuel online for up to 220 rubles per liter (about $2.67 per liter).
In the Kuril Islands' Kurilsky district in northern Japan, a shortage of lower-octane A-92 gasoline forced officials to immediately halt public sales on Monday. In Crimea, a popular tourist area, some companies sold fuel only to holders of vouchers or special cards.