Ukraine drone strikes spark Moscow petrol crisis
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- Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries triggered "unscheduled repairs" that have produced petrol queues across Moscow — one station had 80 vehicles in line, and drivers waited hours only to be told no fuel was available
- Russia has begun importing petrol and temporarily authorized production of Euro 2 fuel, banned since 2013 and containing up to 50 times more sulphur than modern Euro 5, with government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta warning it can damage fuel injectors, spark plugs, oxygen sensors, catalytic converters and soot filters
- Nezavisimaya Gazeta declared "the second wave of the fuel crisis is building" as Moscow queues grew longer than during earlier summer shortages, with authorities reportedly struggling with refining capacity and logistics
- Ukrainian strikes on Wildberries distribution centres are causing disruption to shoppers and economic pain for sellers, adding a second front of domestic economic pressure beyond fuel
- Putin conceded that attacks on industrial facilities "do inflict damage" but insisted there are "no critical consequences," while Novaya Gazeta columnist Andrei Kolesnikov described "a disconnect between people's feelings and Putin's description of reality"
- Public Opinion Foundation polling indicates rising anxiety in Russian society, with Kolesnikov calling anxiety "the main sentiment" and noting the Kremlin offers "no model of the future" — the horizon of planning is "very short"
Why it matters: An energy superpower now importing petrol and reintroducing Euro 2 fuel banned since 2013 demonstrates how Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries are reaching ordinary Russian consumers, not just military targets. Putin insists there are "no critical consequences," yet Public Opinion Foundation polling shows rising public anxiety — the Kremlin's "keep calm and carry on" messaging isn't landing on a populace that queues for hours and hears "boom boom" at night.
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