Russia is being gripped by a widespread fuel crisis, with long daily queues at petrol stations even in the wealthy capital, Moscow, and many garages shut after running out of stock entirely. The shortages matter because they bring the consequences of the Ukraine war home to ordinary Russians, whom President Putin has largely tried to shield from the effects of his "special military operation", now in its fifth year. Ukrainian drone and missile strikes deep inside Russia have targeted oil refineries, leaving the country — one of the world's largest oil producers — unable to refine enough fuel to meet domestic demand.

The disruption has forced rationing, bans on jerry cans, the deployment of Cossacks to keep order in queues, and cuts to bus services and rubbish collections, while farmers fear for the harvest. Putin has publicly played down the strikes as "not critical", but authorities are raising fuel imports, subsidising prices and permitting lower-grade fuel. Polling suggests public mood is souring, with Putin's approval slipping to around 74% and pessimism about the economy at a 20-year high. Kyiv and Nato hope the turmoil will pressure the Kremlin, though analysts warn the crisis could dent Russia's economic growth for the rest of the year.