Small Share of Sevastopol Gas Stations Lift Fuel Rationing Restrictions

June 12, 2026 Yandex Maps Nine out of more than 100 gas stations belonging to a single major retailer have resumed sales in annexed Crimea’s biggest city of Sevastopol as restrictions remained across other networks, authorities said Friday. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Kremlin-installed governor of Sevastopol, announced that nine ATAN stations in and around the southern port city would begin “unrestricted” sales of AI-92, AI-95, A-100 and Diesel Ultra fuel grades starting 10 a.m. local time. ATAN’s rival TES, which also operates more than 100 stations across Crimea, will only sell gasoline via special QR codes issued through the state-backed messaging app Max, he warned. Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has suffered from gasoline shortages in the weeks since Ukraine stepped up its mid-range drone attacks against military trucks and fuel tankers that supply the peninsula from the north. Gasoline shortages have also been reported at filling stations in at least 25 Russian regions. The Kremlin blamed the shortage on “unjustified panic-buying.” Earlier this week, however, Russia’s Energy Ministry acknowledged that Ukrainian drone attacks were to blame for the shortages and set up an “industry-wide task force” meant to stabilize the Russian energy sector. Late on Thursday, the Russian government said Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak held a cabinet meeting in which he called for the creation of a “predictive model” to improve monitoring quality, flag bottlenecks early and allow officials to make proactive policy decisions in the fuel market. Russia has enforced a ban on gasoline exports through July 31 to safeguard local supplies and combat rising prices. Read more about: Crimea , Gasoline Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Crimea Suspends Gasoline Sales and Distribution of Fuel Vouchers Authorities in the annexed peninsula did not say when they expected sales to resume at local gas stations. 2 Min read Annexed Crimea’s Largest Gas Station Chain Suspends Fuel Vouchers as Shortage Worsens Kremlin-backed authorities in the peninsula warned that the current fuel shortage would likely last at least another month. 2 Min read Sevastopol Begins Rationing Gasoline Due to ‘Logistical Challenges’ The rationing measures in annexed Crimea’s largest city come as Ukrainian drone strikes against oil refineries across Russia cause a slump in fuel production... 2 Min read Crimea Raises Gasoline Purchase Limit Amid Ongoing Shortages The Russian government has struggled to contain a broader fuel supply crunch caused by Ukrainian drone strikes. 1 Min read