--- title: "Russia's Second Wave of the Fuel Crisis: AI-92 and AI-95 Gasoline Hit Record Prices" description: "In the second wave of Russia's fuel crisis, the average price of AI-92 gasoline reached a record 74.60 rubles by September 14, and AI-95 — 80.78 rubles per liter. The shortage is felt most acutely in Saint Petersburg, where a 30-liter limit per refueling has been introduced." date: 2026-09-17T14:32:03.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/second-wave-fuel-crisis-russia-record-gasoline-prices tags: [fuel-crisis, russia, gasoline-prices, st-petersburg, refineries] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Russia's Second Wave of the Fuel Crisis: AI-92 and AI-95 Gasoline Hit Record Prices ![Line of cars at a Gazprom Neft gas station amid record-high fuel prices for AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline in Russia](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/18/vtoraya-volna-toplivnogo-krizisa-v-rossii/vtoraya-volna-toplivnogo-krizisa-v-rossii-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - By September 14, the average price of AI-92 in Russia reached a record 74.60 rubles/liter, and AI-95 — 80.78 rubles/liter. - From the start of the year to mid-September, AI-92 rose by 21.4% and AI-95 by 21%, far exceeding last year's growth (8% and 7.7%). - Diesel fuel, by contrast, fell to 88.05 rubles/liter — 5.9% below the July peak. - Saint Petersburg became the epicenter of the shortage: AI-92 is available only at one in every fourth gas station, and a 30-liter limit per refueling has been introduced in Leningrad Oblast. - The new wave coincided with the halt of oil refining at the Syzran and Saratov refineries following Ukrainian strikes. A second wave of the fuel crisis has begun in Russia, with average prices for AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline hitting record highs. RBC-Ukraine reports this, citing data from the Telegram channel "Agency Novosti." According to analysts, the new round of price increases is unfolding after a temporary easing of prices in early August: by September 14, the country-wide averages once again exceeded the peak values of the first wave, which occurred in early July. ### Gasoline price dynamics: new records By September 14, the country-wide average price of AI-92 gasoline rose to 74.60 rubles per liter. For comparison: during the first wave, the price climbed to 73.85 rubles before falling to 72.17 rubles. AI-95 followed a similar trajectory — after rising in the first wave to 79.94 rubles and then dropping to 78.21 rubles, by September 14 the average price reached 80.78 rubles per liter. In year-on-year terms, the price acceleration became noticeably sharper: from the start of the year to mid-September, AI-92 rose by 21.4%, and AI-95 by 21%. Last year, over the same period, growth was only 8% and 7.7% respectively. ### Diesel fuel moves in the opposite direction A different dynamic is observed in the diesel fuel segment. As of September 14, it cost an average of 88.05 rubles per liter, which is 5.49 rubles (5.9%) cheaper than the first-wave peak on July 20, when the price reached 93.54 rubles. Thus, unlike gasoline, diesel did not set a new maximum but retreated from the July peak, indicating that the crisis is uneven across fuel types. ### Saint Petersburg — the epicenter of the shortage One of the main centers of the new fuel crisis has become Saint Petersburg, which is facing the most severe shortage. As of September 14, AI-92 gasoline was available only at one in every fourth gas station in the city, while AI-95 was available at slightly more than one in every fifth. Fuel availability was even lower than at the peak of the first wave in early July, when AI-95 could be found at 20% of gas stations and AI-92 at roughly a third of stations. In Leningrad Oblast, a uniform limit on fuel sales at gas stations was introduced: drivers are given no more than 30 liters per refueling. ### Causes of the new round: refinery shutdowns after strikes The context for the renewed price spike was the situation at oil refining capacity. As RBC-Ukraine previously reported, oil refining at the Syzran and Saratov refineries halted after these facilities came under strikes from Ukraine several days earlier. The reduction in refining capacity against an already tense market became one of the factors driving the second wave of price increases and shortages at gas stations. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Russia hit by a second wave of the fuel crisis: gasoline prices hit records](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rosiyu-nakrila-druga-hvilya-palivnoyi-krizi-1789655146.html) - Первичный источник фактов: цены АИ-92 (74,60 руб.), АИ-95 (80,78 руб.), дизеля (88,05 руб.), динамика с начала года, доступность в СПб и лимит 30 л в Ленобласти, остановка Сызранского и Саратовского НПЗ. - [Gasoline in Ukraine gets more expensive due to the global fuel crisis. Prices reached a record level since ...](https://gazeta.ua/ru/articles/economics/_benzin-v-ukraine-dorozhaet-izza-mirovogo-toplivnogo-krizisa-ceny-dostigli-rekordnogo-urovnya-s-1970h-godov/1258888) - Контекстный источник: подтверждает общий фон мирового/регионального топливного кризиса, но не содержит российских цифр по маркам бензина. - [Gasoline breaks a historic record: Kuyun reveals the scale of the fuel shock](https://focus.ua/economics/768170-ceny-na-benzin-vzleteli-do-istoricheskih-maksimumov-chto-budet-na-ukrainskih-azs) - Подтверждено по источнику focus.ua - ["The Great Fuel Crisis": what is happening in the EU energy markets](https://finance.rambler.ru/economics/57072560-velikiy-toplivnyy-krizis-chto-proishodit-na-energeticheskih-rynkah-es/) - Подтверждено по источнику finance.rambler.ru ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What record gasoline prices have been recorded in Russia by September 14? **A:** The average price of AI-92 reached 74.60 rubles per liter, and AI-95 — 80.78 rubles per liter, which is higher than the first-wave peaks (73.85 and 79.94 rubles respectively). ### Q: By how much has gasoline risen since the start of the year? **A:** By mid-September, AI-92 rose by 21.4% and AI-95 by 21%. Last year, over the same period, growth was only 8% and 7.7%. ### Q: What is happening with diesel fuel prices? **A:** Diesel did not set a new record: by September 14 its average price was 88.05 rubles/liter, which is 5.9% (5.49 rubles) below the first-wave peak of July 20 (93.54 rubles). ### Q: Where is the fuel shortage felt most acutely? **A:** The epicenter is Saint Petersburg: AI-92 is available only at one in every fourth gas station, and AI-95 at slightly more than one in every fifth. In Leningrad Oblast, a limit of 30 liters per refueling has been introduced. ### Q: What causes are cited for the new wave of the crisis? **A:** Among the factors are the temporary easing of prices in early August and the halt of oil refining at the Syzran and Saratov refineries following Ukrainian strikes, which reduced fuel supply.