--- title: "Fuel collapse: mass queues for gasoline in Russia amid attacks on refineries" description: "🚨 A fuel collapse is brewing in Russia: huge queues for gasoline are being recorded in Moscow, the Moscow Region, and on the M-4 \"Don\" highway. Residents complain of a complete shortage of AI-95 and AI-92. The reason is attacks on refineries, which reduced fuel production by 25%. The situation has worsened since June 2026. #Russia #Gasoline #Crisis #2026" date: 2026-08-16T16:18:04.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/fuel-collapse-in-russia-queues-for-gasoline-2026 tags: [russia, fuel-crisis, gasoline-shortage, npz-attacks, economy, 2026] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Fuel collapse: mass queues for gasoline in Russia amid attacks on refineries ![Long queue of cars and buses at a gas station in Russia, illustrating fuel collapse and gasoline shortage following attacks on refineries](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/16/toplivnyj-kollaps-v-rossii-ocheredi-za-benzinom-2026/toplivnyj-kollaps-v-rossii-ocheredi-za-benzinom-2026-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Mass queues for gasoline have been recorded in Moscow, the Moscow Region, and several other regions of Russia. - A critical fuel shortage is observed in the Tambov region and on the M-4 "Don" highway. - The cause of the crisis was attacks on oil refineries, which reduced production by 25%. - The fuel situation intensified from the end of June 2026, when prices reached record levels. ### Mass queues and panic in Moscow and the regions On August 16, 2026, social media and Russian news feeds were flooded with footage of massive traffic jams at gas stations. In Moscow, the Moscow Region, and several other areas, citizens faced a critical shortage of automotive fuel. Videos shot on August 15 and 16 show multi-kilometer queues of cars waiting for the chance to refuel. Residents describe the situation as "mad mockery" and note growing panic, despite the outwardly calm atmosphere on the roads. Particular concern is caused by the situation in the Moscow Region, specifically in the settlement of Sovkhoz imeni Lenina, as well as in Krasnogorsk. Local residents report that there is practically no gasoline at gas stations, and the situation is worsening every day. As one Moscow resident noted while driving past a gas station: "Queues for gasoline again, everyone is quiet and calm, but the queues are terrible, there is no gasoline, and the situation is getting worse". ### Critical shortage in Tambov region and on the M-4 highway The fuel situation has spread beyond the capital region. At "Rosneft" gas stations in the Tambov region, multi-hour waits for fuel tankers are being recorded. According to locals, diesel fuel is still available, but finding AI-95 gasoline is practically impossible. AI-92 gasoline was found only at one or two stations within a radius of 600 kilometers, making travel by personal transport extremely difficult. A critical situation has developed on the M-4 "Don" highway in the Rostov region: about 200 cars have accumulated in the queue at one of the gas stations. Queues have also been recorded in the Tula, Voronezh, and Samara regions. This indicates the systemic nature of the problem, which has covered a significant part of the European part of Russia. ### Causes of the crisis: attacks on oil refineries The real reason for the fuel collapse, which Russian authorities are trying to downplay, lies in the attacks on oil refinery (NPP) infrastructure. As a result of these attacks, domestic fuel production has fallen by about a quarter. This led to a sharp reduction in fuel supplies to the market and the subsequent shortage. The fuel crisis in Russia intensified at the end of June 2026, when gasoline prices broke a 20-year record. At that time, shortages and rationing of fuel were recorded in 75% of the country's regions. The current situation is a logical continuation and aggravation of the processes that began several months ago. ### Contradictory data There is a discrepancy in assessments of the scale and causes of what is happening. On the one hand, independent sources and eyewitness accounts point to a critical fuel shortage caused by the physical destruction of production capacity (refineries) and a decline in oil processing volumes. On the other hand, official statements by Russian authorities often reduce the problem to "temporary logistical difficulties" or "speculation by resellers," not acknowledging the fact of attacks on infrastructure and their impact on production volumes. While residents report that AI-95 gasoline is impossible to find within a radius of hundreds of kilometers, representatives of some gas station networks may claim "normal operation" of their terminals, citing supplies from other regions, which does not correspond to the real picture on the roads, where queues reach tens of kilometers. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Where exactly were queues for gasoline recorded? **A:** Queues have been recorded in Moscow, the Moscow Region (including Krasnogorsk, Sovkhoz imeni Lenina), Tambov, Tula, Voronezh, Rostov, and Samara regions, as well as on the M-4 "Don" highway. ### Q: Which grade of gasoline is most scarce? **A:** AI-95 gasoline is the most scarce. AI-92 is also in short supply; it can be found only at single stations within a radius of 600 km in some regions. ### Q: What is the cause of the fuel crisis? **A:** The main reason is attacks on oil refineries, which led to a drop in domestic fuel production by about a quarter.