Authorities in the Zabaikalsky region of Russia’s Far East have reached out to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin for urgent support to address a fuel shortage that has resulted in gas stations lacking regular supplies, as reported by the Kommersant business newspaper on Friday.
Governor Alexander Osipov has allegedly requested the government’s assistance in accelerating deliveries from refineries located in the adjacent Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk regions, following weeks of delays attributed to transport issues rather than production deficits.
Fuel shortages were initially reported last month when at least two independent fuel chains implemented gasoline rationing and subsequently ran out of fuel at several stations in the regional capital, Chita, and the nearby industrial city, Krasnokamensk.
In recent months, similar fuel disruptions and price increases have been observed across various regions in Russia.
Between January and late October, retail prices for AI-92 gasoline surged by 42%, while AI-95 saw a 49% rise, before experiencing a decrease of approximately 10% in early November due to a temporary export ban and other governmental measures.
In response to these issues, Russia’s Energy Ministry has developed new strategies aimed at stabilizing the domestic fuel market, including the establishment of a specific trading platform for consumers and a requirement for oil companies to allocate at least 40% of their crude production for domestic refining.
