Fuel shortages have affected at least 53 Russian regions and annexed territories. Against this backdrop, regional governors are asking residents to avoid creating unnecessary demand for fuel, while pro-government bots blame resellers for the shortages.
Source: Tomiks
Alexey Tomanov, an LDPR deputy in the Kursk Oblast Duma, called for the lifting of restrictions on petrol purchases in border areas so that residents could evacuate in time and fuel their generators.
Vladimir Oblast Governor Alexander Avdeev urged residents to reduce car trips and avoid stockpiling petrol so that "the situation could return to normal more quickly."
Pro-government bots attributed the shortages to fake news, scheduled refinery maintenance, panic buying, resellers, and software glitches at filling stations.
The government of Chelyabinsk Oblast established an operational headquarters to monitor the fuel market. Among its tasks will be combating price gouging.
Lipetsk Oblast Governor Igor Artamonov urged residents "not to repeat the buckwheat panic of 2020 and 2022" and "not to destabilize the situation" by stockpiling fuel.
