In brief

• Rosneft has capped fuel sales at its petrol stations in several Russian regions.
• Limits are 30 litres of petrol in cities and 50 litres on highways, with canister sales banned.
• The restrictions follow a series of Ukrainian drone strikes on at least eight Russian refineries in about two weeks.

Purchase caps spread across regions

Rosneft has introduced restrictions on fuel sales at its filling stations in a number of Russian regions, according to local authorities and the Financial Times (Russia caps petrol sales after wave of Ukrainian strikes on refineries – Financial Times) («Роснефть» начала вводить ограничения на продажу топлива на заправках – Meduza). Regional officials in Karelia, Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai have confirmed the limits, and reports also name the Arkhangelsk and Penza regions and Krasnoyarsk (Niektoré ruské regióny opäť trápi nedostatok palív. Platia tam obmedzenia predaja, píše Reuters – HNonline.sk) (Ukraińskie drony atakują. Nowe limity sprzedaży paliwa w Rosji – Onet).

In cities, a single customer can buy up to 30 litres of petrol and up to 50 litres on highways, according to the Financial Times and regional authorities. Diesel limits vary: in Karelia, drivers can buy up to 50 litres, and up to 200 litres at high-speed truck pumps. In Krasnoyarsk, reports put the diesel limit at 100 litres. Filling containers and canisters is banned in most of the affected areas.

Refinery attacks behind the shortages

The restrictions follow a run of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries. At least eight major plants were hit over roughly two weeks, according to Reuters. Among them were the Novokuibyshevsk refinery in Samara Oblast on October 30, the Bashneft-Novoil plant in Ufa on October 31, and a refinery in Ryazan Oblast on November 5 (Ukraina osiąga swój cel. Problemy paliwowe paraliżują rosyjski rynek – Wirtualna Polska). Several plants remain offline while repairs continue, and it is unclear when full output will return.

In Karelia, the regional governor said the limits are temporary and aimed at preventing panic buying and keeping stations operating. Bloomberg reported that Rosneft executives expect the war could still last several more months.

Logistics and wider impact

Authorities have said the measures are intended to ensure even distribution while supplies are restored. Regional officials acknowledged that the caps could disrupt residents and businesses that rely on fuel for logistics.