--- title: "Fuel Crisis in Russia: Novak Admits That Queues at Gas Stations Are a Consequence of Drone Strikes on Refineries" description: "Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak officially admitted that the fuel crisis and queues at gas stations are caused by drone strikes on refineries. The official reported a 30% increase in consumption and the need to restructure logistics. πŸ‡·πŸ‡ΊπŸ›’οΈπŸš" date: 2026-07-10T11:40:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/novak-admits-fuel-crisis-in-russia-due-to-drone-strikes tags: [] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Fuel Crisis in Russia: Novak Admits That Queues at Gas Stations Are a Consequence of Drone Strikes on Refineries ![Alexey Novak, Russian Minister of Energy, in front of a screen with graphics, discusses the fuel crisis and the impact of drone strikes on refineries.](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/10/novak-priznal-toplivnyj-krizis-v-rossii-iz-za-udarov-dronov/novak-priznal-toplivnyj-krizis-v-rossii-iz-za-udarov-dronov-1.webp) Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak officially confirmed the existence of a serious fuel shortage in the country, linking it to damage to oil refineries (ORs) resulting from drone attacks. This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing the TASS agency. The high-ranking official did not hide the scale of the problem, stating that real difficulties have arisen in the market, manifested in queues at gas stations and unstable operation of some filling stations. ### Official Admission of the Causes of the Shortage In his statement, Novak directly pointed to the cause of disruptions in logistics and production. According to him, oil refining capacities are partially being sent for repair due to "arrivals" β€” the term used in Russian official circles to describe Ukrainian drone strikes. "We must admit that there are problems and a shortage in the fuel market, which leads to queues. In addition, some gas stations are operating unstably. The shortage arose for understandable reasons: our oil refineries are partially going out of order for repair due to 'arrivals'," the source quotes the Deputy Prime Minister. This statement became another public admission by Vladimir Putin's entourage that the fuel crisis is a direct consequence of Ukraine's actions. Earlier, on July 8, Novak had already stated a temporary reduction in gasoline and diesel production volumes due to "continuous terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure objects". ### Panic Demand and Logistics Disruptions Despite the official previously assuring that there were sufficient fuel reserves for the domestic market, the situation on the ground turned out to be more complicated. Novak complained that panic demand from the population led to a sharp spike in consumption β€” approximately 20–30%. The situation is exacerbated by the need to restructure logistics chains. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, adapting the supply system to new realities and market needs will take some time. ### Scale of Strikes on Infrastructure Novak's admission correlates with data on massive strikes on Russia's energy infrastructure. It was previously reported that as of the end of June, Ukrainian drones had struck 8 out of 10 of Russia's largest oil refineries. In particular, the Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to stop the work of the refinery in Saratov. In addition, the Ilyinsky Refinery in Russia caught fire after an attack. These events confirm that strikes on the fuel and energy complex are systematic and directly affect the availability of fuel for citizens.