Video: Tensions Erupt at Russian Gas Stations Amid Putin’s Acknowledgment of Fuel Shortages

Russian President Vladimir Putin has conceded that Ukraine’s long-range attacks are causing significant disruptions in Russia’s fuel supply as News Media reveals footage of extensive queues, frustrated drivers, and altercations at gas stations in various Russian regions.

At a recent meeting with government officials following a series of Ukrainian strikes targeting Russian oil infrastructure, Putin addressed the impact on Sunday, citing that assaults on “critical infrastructure” and energy resources are creating challenges. These include shortages affecting not only motorists but also businesses and agricultural producers. Despite these issues, Putin assured that efforts are underway to manage the situation, according to Reuters.

This acknowledgment from the Kremlin is a rare admission that Ukraine’s long-range operations are exerting influence beyond the immediate combat zones.

For Ukraine, the prevailing fuel shortages in Russia are a testament to the effectiveness of its long-range strike strategy. By compelling Moscow to address conspicuous internal problems, these strikes underscore vulnerabilities within a nation that has traditionally leveraged its energy sector for global prowess.

Ukraine increasingly has used long-range drones to target Russian oil refineries, depots and supply routes hundreds of miles from its border. Ukraine hit two Russian oil refineries overnight, Reuters reported Sunday, including one in Krasnodar, Russia, and another in Yaroslavl, Russia, as Kyiv continues targeting infrastructure linked to Moscow’s war effort.

Fuel shortages have spread across Russia, including occupied Crimea, southern Russia, Siberia and Moscow. Moscow also is weighing emergency measures, including temporarily allowing the production and import of lower-quality fuel, according to a draft government document reported by the Kommersant daily newspaper.

Maxim Katz, a Russian opposition figure and former Moscow municipal deputy, told News Media that the fuel shortages are real and increasingly difficult for Russians to ignore.

“There are fuel problems in Russia right now — real ones,” Katz told News Media. “I’m getting a lot of reports, and I can see it too: It’s hard. You can’t find fuel, or you have to stand in line. In some cities, you have to spend half a day looking for fuel, and then they give you only a little, and you have to get back in line again.”

Katz said the shortages appear tied directly to Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refining capacity.

“They are bombing the refineries very effectively,” he said. “Putin doesn’t have a way to defend them. Right now, it looks like there is no way to defend them, and that is a major pressure point on Putin.”

Videos obtained by News Media from East2West news agency show scenes of frustration at Russian filling stations, where drivers are seen waiting in long queues and arguing as shortages bite. In one video, two women appear to argue over a place in line, with one insisting, “I was in the queue,” before the confrontation escalates into shouting and threats.

In Serov, Russia, police were called after a male driver was seen shouting obscenities at several women before punching one of them, according to a video. 

In Ryazan, Russia, video shows a fight breaking out near a forecourt as drivers waited for fuel. In Irkutsk, Russia, a man is seen leaning into the open window of a hatchback and repeatedly hitting another motorist.

One woman, identified only as Tanya, 29, told east2west she waited 13 hours in Siberia to get half a tank of fuel and blamed Putin’s war for the chaos.

“He should stop this senseless conflict and let us live normally,” she told the outlet. 

Katz said the fuel disruption comes alongside deeper economic pressure caused by the Russia–Ukraine war, including high domestic borrowing, steep interest rates and a budget increasingly built around military spending.

“The whole economy is now built on war,” Katz said. “War does not produce anything. Nothing comes back from it. So what remains is a big hole.”

He said Russia is not yet on the verge of collapse, but the strain is “growing and growing,” with economic officials warning that spending may need to be cut as the budget deficit becomes harder to close.

This assessment was also confirmed to News Media by a European intelligence source, who said the economic pressure is effectively working.

News Media reached out to Russian and Ukrainian spokespeople for comment. 

Reuters contributed to this story.