Motorists across Russia are engaging in physical altercations at petrol stations after Ukrainian drone strikes severely disrupted the country's oil infrastructure, leading to widespread fuel shortages. Drivers have reported queuing for hours or even days to fill up their vehicles, with some resorting to violence as frustration mounts.
Violence Erupts at Queues
In the mining town of Serov in Sverdlovsk Oblast, police were called after a male driver punched a woman while shouting at other motorists. A separate fight broke out at a forecourt in the western city of Ryazan. In Siberia, two women were seen arguing over who was ahead in the queue, with one telling the other: 'So you should have stayed [in the queue]. Why the f*** you left [the queue], there is a queue, you dumb ass.' The row escalated as one woman said 'go f*** yourself' and the other threatened to hit them 'in your f***ing face now.'
In Irkutsk, Siberia, a man wearing jeans and a black t-shirt repeatedly hit a fellow motorist through his car window in frustration. Tanya, 29, waited 13 hours to get half a tank of fuel in Siberia. Referring to President Vladimir Putin, she said: 'He should stop this senseless conflict and let us live normally.'
Mafia Groups Exploit Shortages
Mafia groups have sought to capitalise on the fuel shortage, with police in one region forced to intervene after a cabal was caught reselling fuel at triple its market price. The crisis has spread to all of Russia's 83 regions, according to reports.
Putin Acknowledges Problems
Ukrainian forces have hit several critical targets, including a drone strike on the Moscow refinery of oil giant Gazprom Neft. President Putin attempted to address the growing crisis, conceding that Ukrainian air strikes on infrastructure had caused 'problems' for motorists and businesses. However, he insisted that fuel reserves were only four per cent down on last year. 'Unfortunately, there are also queues at [filling] stations, and it's not always possible to find the right type of gasoline,' he said. 'And, of course, we understand the difficulties faced by agricultural producers and farms in the summer period.'
Putin pledged to increase supplies, including by sea to Crimea which has almost run dry, after land routes were disrupted by Ukrainian forces.
