--- title: "Fuel Collapse: How Strikes on Refineries and Import Shortages Are Leading Russia to a Gasoline Shortage" description: "Russia on the brink of fuel collapse: AFU strikes on refineries have created a gasoline deficit of nearly one million tons per month. Imports are not saving the day, and residents of Zabaykalye are already mass-refueling in China πŸ‡·πŸ‡ΊπŸš›πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³" date: 2026-07-07T20:22:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/fuel-collapse-russia-strikes-refineries-import-shortages-gasoline tags: [] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Fuel Collapse: How Strikes on Refineries and Import Shortages Are Leading Russia to a Gasoline Shortage ![Oil refinery in Russia against mountains, symbolizing fuel collapse threat due to strikes and import shortages](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/07/toplivnyj-kollaps-v-rossii-udary-po-npz-i-defitsit-benzina/toplivnyj-kollaps-v-rossii-udary-po-npz-i-defitsit-benzina-1.webp) Russia is facing a massive fuel crisis, which experts predict will be long-term and worsening. The cause is a series of successful strikes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) on key oil refining infrastructure in the Russian Federation. According to the Center for Countering Disinformation, the situation with fuel in the country will only deteriorate. ### Strike on the Omsk Refinery and the Mathematics of Shortage Andrey Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, reported that Ukrainian forces have already halted several Russian plants, including the strategically important Omsk Oil Refinery. The shutdown of this giant creates a colossal gap in the country's fuel balance. According to Kovalenko's calculations, the daily gasoline deficit following the strike on the Omsk Refinery could reach 30,600 tons. Converted to a month, this amounts to about 918,000 tons, creating a hypothetical gap of nearly one million tons monthly. ### Imports Are Not Saving the Day: The Myth of External Supplies Many experts and analysts hoped that Russia would be able to compensate for losses through fuel imports. However, Andrey Kovalenko dispelled these illusions, pointing to the actual state of affairs. According to him, import shipments are one-off and do not form a regular flow. Known shipments amount to only 50–60 thousand tons. For comparison: the daily demand across the country is estimated at 110,000 tons. This means that even one large import shipment covers less than half of the daily need. On the scale of a monthly deficit of one million tons, such imports cover only one-tenth of the problem. The situation is exacerbated by seasonal factors: demand for fuel traditionally rises in August and September, which will only increase the load on the already undermined logistics. ### Reality on the Ground: From Restrictions to Refueling in China The consequences of AFU strikes on refineries are already being felt by the population. More than half of the Russian regions have been forced to introduce strict restrictions on fuel sales to prevent a complete breakdown of supplies. The situation in the Zabaykalsky Krai caused particular resonance. Against the backdrop of the fuel crisis, residents of the region began to be massively offered to refuel in China. Dozens of advertisements appeared in city chats calling for crossing the border for gasoline, which indicates a critical level of fuel shortage in border zones. Specialists note that the current fuel problems are the most serious for Russia in recent decades, and without the restoration of refining capacity, the situation could become uncontrollable.