Russia admits fuel shortage as refinery strikes disrupt supply

Russia is facing a fuel shortage on its domestic market after a number of oil refineries were partially knocked offline by strikes, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said, acknowledging supply pressures while insisting the government is taking steps to stabilise the situation.

Speaking to reporters, Novak said the authorities were strengthening the protection of oil refining facilities and working to ensure refineries operate at full capacity to maintain fuel production.

Despite the disruptions, he said Russia continued to process sufficient volumes of petroleum products and that the government was doing everything possible to meet domestic demand.

Novak said fuel shipments to the regions would be increased and called on the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) to closely monitor prices to prevent unjustified increases.

He also defended the government's ban on petrol and diesel exports, describing it as a necessary measure to stabilise the domestic market and guarantee supplies for Russian consumers.

According to Novak, some intermediaries have been taking advantage of the fuel shortage by inflating prices, prompting the government to tighten oversight of the market.

Ukraine intensified its long-range drone campaign against Russia's oil refining sector in June–July 2026, targeting refineries and fuel infrastructure in an effort to disrupt military logistics and reduce fuel supplies.

According to Ukraine's Ministry of Defence, Ukrainian forces struck 11 Russian oil refineries and eight defence industry facilities during June, describing the operations as part of a broader strategy to degrade Russia's military-industrial capacity.

The campaign continued into late June and early July. On June 28, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said drones had hit refineries in the Krasnodar and Yaroslavl regions. On July 1, Ukraine announced another strike on the Ufa refinery, more than 1,300 km from the front line. Between July 4 and 8, Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted additional energy infrastructure, including the Yaroslavl, Omsk and Nizhnekamsk refineries. Operations at the Omsk refinery had been suspended following the attack.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) said the sustained strikes prompted it to lower forecasts for Russian oil production in 2026 and 2027, while Russia introduced further restrictions on fuel exports to stabilise domestic supplies. Ukrainian officials claim the campaign has disabled around 43% of Russia's refining capacity, although independent estimates suggest the disruption is lower.

By Aghakazim Guliyev