Russia Gasoline Crisis: 66 Refinery Strikes Hit in 2026 — SkimNews
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- Meduza analyzed SPIMEX exchange trading data and open-source strike reports to quantify Russia's gasoline crisis, which developed in about a month with no clear end in sight as officials withhold refinery damage figures.
- Russia has roughly 35 operating refineries with combined design capacity of about 302 million tons of oil per year; in 2024 the sector processed 266.5 million tons, yielding 41.1 million tons of gasoline against ~36 million tons of domestic demand.
- Ukraine struck Russian fuel and energy infrastructure at least 66 times between January 1 and July 2, 2026, with 44 of those attacks hitting refineries directly — shifting from isolated incidents in January–February to forced shutdowns by March.
- Major refineries went offline under the pressure: Rosneft's Saratov plant halted on March 21, 2026, and Kinef in Kirishi (Leningrad region), one of Russia's largest, stopped on March 26 and was still not running at full capacity after a subsequent strike.
- Russian authorities banned diesel exports on July 8, 2026, and lowered the mandatory share of gasoline that producers must sell on the SPIMEX exchange from 15% to 10%, aiming to route more fuel directly to company-owned gas stations.
- Independent gas stations — about 65% of Russia's roughly 27,800 stations, accounting for 30–40% of the retail market — depend on the SPIMEX exchange for supply, meaning the mandate cut shrinks the fuel pool they can actually access.
- The IEA cut its forecasts in tandem with the crisis (per the article's framing), underscoring that external agencies now see Russian fuel supply as materially worse than prior projections.
Why it matters: Russia's roughly 27,800 independent gas stations — 65% of the total and 30–40% of the market — are the most exposed stakeholders: the government lowered their only meaningful supply channel (SPIMEX) from 15% to 10% while 44 refinery strikes since January have already forced shutdowns at Saratov, Kinef, and Norsi, and a July 8 diesel export ban signals Moscow is prioritizing company-owned retail over independent operators.
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