The current crisis was caused by Ukrainian drone attacks on Crimea. Since then, strict refueling restrictions have been in place. You can see videos on social media of Russians buying extraction gasoline to refuel their cars. Which would probably only work as an admixture or in old Soviet-era cars – since that gasoline has 70-88 octanes and modern vehicles require 95 octanes.
The cause of serious supply problems, especially on the annexed island, is the fact that gasoline tankers cannot cross the Crimean Bridge – with thousands of liters of fuel on board, they could become giant mobile bombs in the event of an attack by Ukrainian drones. A hit could cause catastrophic damage to the bridge.
See also: Russia has a serious problem. Crimea is running out of fuel
The great fuel crisis in Crimea. Vladimir Putin's intervention
Therefore, tankers have to use ferries. According to reports, these vehicles are currently waiting in queues at the terminals for three to four days before they can even cross to the other side. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that Ukraine has already destroyed many ferries in the past.
Read also: Chaos in Crimea. Ukraine cuts off the occupied peninsula from fuel supplies. Kyiv hit a sensitive spot
Sensational news: apparently even Putin got in on the action. Sergei Aksyonov [nominowany przez Moskwę administrator Republiki Krymu] stated on Telegram that the Russian dictator “has ordered the competent authorities to take appropriate actions to solve this problem.” Available supplies will now be strictly controlled and “distributed in proportion to the number of inhabitants.”
Check also: At least 14 regions. The fuel crisis is devouring more places in Russia
However, behind the scenes the situation seems much more complicated. According to authorities, AI-95 fuel, comparable to Super E5, is reserved for public transport. Citizens can only purchase them on the basis of vouchers. In the case of AI-92 fuel, which was previously regular gasoline in Western Europe, there is a limit of 20 liters per refueling. To prevent panic buying, filling canisters was completely banned. These measures will initially apply for 30 days.
