Kharitonov argued that the public should understand that restrictions on fuel sales are intended to ensure sufficient supplies for agriculture. According to him, primary responsibility for the situation now rests with Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev, who oversees the agricultural sector.
Federation Council Chair Valentina Matviyenko, meanwhile, urged the public not to "dramatize" the situation, saying Putin had already addressed fuel supplies for agriculture, including gasoline, diesel and kerosene.
On 1 July, Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin reportedly met to discuss the issue. According to Matviyenko, a government working group led by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak is meeting daily in search of a solution.
One possible option is to import fuel from abroad. The Kremlin has confirmed that it is discussing such purchases, while the State Duma has approved tax changes intended to facilitate government subsidies for imported fuel.
Modern agriculture depends heavily on diesel-powered machinery. If fuel shortages persist into the harvest season, delays in fieldwork could affect both the quantity and quality of this year's crop.
Higher fuel prices are also expected to increase the cost of harvesting and transporting grain. For now, however, there are no signs that the harvest itself has been disrupted. Russia exported twice as much grain in June as it did in June 2025, and the country remains largely self-sufficient in staple crops such as wheat, barley and sugar beets while remaining one of the world's largest grain exporters.
According to the Kremlin, 3% of Russia's grain harvest comes from occupied Ukrainian territory.
Fuel Becomes Scarce
The shortages across Russia and the occupied territories stem largely from Ukrainian drone strikes on oil infrastructure. Repeated attacks have forced refineries to reduce or temporarily halt production.
The effects are spreading through the wider economy. Public transport fares have increased in some regions, services have been reduced and trucking costs have also risen. There have even been reports of scuffles at gas stations.
"Only five regions reported no widespread fuel shortages or sales restrictions – Ingushetia, Chechnya, Kalmykia, Chukotka and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Even there, however, residents complained about rising prices. In Chechnya, according to Rosstat, gasoline prices rose by 8% in a single week, from 9 to 15 June, reaching 74.8 rubles per liter," Vyorstka reported.
Long queues have become common, with drivers waiting several hours – or even overnight – to refuel. The shortages have even created a new informal business. Social media advertisements now offer to queue on behalf of motorists willing to pay. The service typically involves taking the customer's car, waiting at the gas station, sending regular photo and video updates, filling the tank and returning the vehicle. Depending on the advertisement, each stage of the service may carry a separate fee.
Why do these services require the customer's car? In many regions, filling portable fuel containers has been prohibited. Fuel may only be pumped directly into a vehicle, and even then only up to a limited volume. Several Russian media outlets have also urged drivers not to fill their tanks completely.
"They announced on television how many liters each person was allowed to buy, so I brought my wife with me. After I filled the tank, I let her fill a jerry can. But the attendant came over and emptied it," a 60-year-old driver from Moscow told Statement. He had hoped to leave the city during the Ukrainian attacks and stay at his country cottage.
The amount of fuel permitted was not enough to make the journey.
Shortages have also been reported, to varying degrees, in Russia's Far East, including regions bordering China more than 7,000 kilometers from Ukraine, highlighting how widely the problem has spread.
Concerns are also growing in Kyrgyzstan, which imports around 90% of its fuel from Russia and serves as an important route for goods that sanctions prevent Moscow from importing directly. Some filling stations have already reported shortages of premium AI-95 gasoline. Current supplies of the more common AI-92 grade are expected to last only one to one and a half months, although diesel remains available for agricultural use.
