Putin Deploys National Guard to Guard Fuel Stations Amid Widespread Shortages
Russia’s National Guard has been sent to police gas stations as fuel supplies dwindle and public protests erupt.
A severe fuel shortage, affecting roughly 28 percent of Russian gas stations, has led to long lines and confrontations at pumps, prompting President Vladimir Putin to order the National Guard to patrol stations near Moscow. Citizens attempting to draw attention to the crisis have been arrested, with five detainees in Volgograd and another individual fined in Perm. The shortage stems from Ukrainian drone strikes that have hit a large share of Russia’s major oil refineries, disrupting supply in at least 78 of the nation’s 83 regions and impacting around 50 million people.
While officials claim the situation is improving, fuel purchase limits have been re-imposed and reports suggest officials are still able to fill their own vehicles. The crisis coincides with broader economic anxiety, as Russians withdraw billions from banks fearing further financial instability.
Why it matters
Fuel scarcity and arrests signal growing domestic unrest in Russia amid the war.
How this story developed
- Aug 11 Zelenskiy says Ukraine submitted peace proposals to US negotiators amid looming Russian election
- Aug 14 Russia said its forces hit a railway station at the Danube port of Izmail and two tugboats near Mykolaiv, while Ukrainian drones sparked fires at the Baltic oil terminal of Ust-Luga and damaged a warehouse near Moscow.
- Aug 15 Ukraine announced the missile strikes on the Progress Centre and Savasleyka air base.
- Aug 16 Ukraine launched a large‑scale drone offensive against Russian regions.
- Aug 17 Russia is reportedly preparing a large‑scale mobilisation ahead of its parliamentary election.
- Aug 17 Former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov urged Ukraine to hold elections during the war, warning of a systemic governance crisis.
- Aug 17 A court in Pskov sentenced opposition figure Lev Shlosberg to 11 years and one month for publicly denigrating the Russian military’s actions in Ukraine.
- Aug 17 Ukrainian energy facilities were hit repeatedly, sustaining serious damage.
- Aug 17 The Supreme Court confirmed the ban on Yabloko’s participation in the September parliamentary vote.
- Aug 18 Russian missiles struck a sports centre in Kyiv, killing a border officer and injuring over 100 people.
- Aug 19 President Zelenskyy appointed Yevhenii Khmara as acting defence minister after Fedorov’s removal.
- Aug 20 Russian ballistic missiles hit Kyiv early Thursday, killing at least three people and wounding around 20, while also causing power outages.
- Aug 20 Parliament approved Yevhenii Khmara as defence minister.
- Aug 20 Parliament approved Yevhenii Khmara as defence minister and protests over Fedorov’s election call dwindled to a few dozen participants.
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