A unprecedented surge in interest in methods for draining fuel from a car's tank has been recorded in the Russian internet segment. Over the last three months, the number of such search queries has grown more than 10-fold. Statistics indicate that citizens of the Russian Federation are facing serious problems with the availability of petroleum products, forcing them to seek workarounds to fuel their vehicles.
Statistics of Desperation and Drivers' Tricks
Analysts who examined data from Google Trends and Yandex Wordstat note that Russians are actively searching for instructions on how to obtain scarce fuel. The situation at gas stations is exacerbated by the introduction of strict limits: selling fuel in jerrycans is prohibited at many stations. In response, drivers are forced to resort to complex schemes. A person fills their tank at a station, drives to a secluded spot, drains the gasoline into a jerrycan, and then returns to the gas station for a new portion.
Return to the 90s: Tank Theft and Nighttime Looting
The fuel situation recalls the grim predictions about a "return to the 90s," which were previously heard in Vladimir Putin's propagandistic speeches. However, reality has caught up with Russians precisely in the form of a gasoline crisis. Complaints about nighttime fuel thefts are appearing more frequently on social media. Unknown criminals are emptying the tanks of cars left in courtyards.
Video recordings from surveillance cameras confirm these facts: people see thieves draining fuel in the dark. At the same time, technological progress plays the role of a protector: modern cars have a complex fuel system design, which makes theft difficult. Meanwhile, the older vehicle fleet becomes easy prey for thieves.
Attacks on Refineries and Declining Fuel Quality
The roots of the problem lie in the systematic attacks by Ukrainian drones on oil refining infrastructure in the Russian rear. Over the last few months, facilities located at a significant distance from the border have been attacked, including an oil facility in the Yaroslavl region, located more than 700 kilometers from Ukraine.
Due to constant attacks, the Russian government has been forced to allow factories to produce low-quality "dirty" fuel with poor environmental characteristics. A shortage of gasoline and rising prices, as reported by ISW analysts, are affecting an increasing number of regions in the country, turning a trip to the gas station into a lottery.