Residents of Kuban described fuel shortages at gas stations as insignificant.
The situation at gas stations in the Krasnodar Territory has stabilized; localized fuel shortages at some stations are not yet causing significant problems, according to residents of the region interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot." Some expressed concern about rising fuel prices.
As "Caucasian Knot" reported, fuel shortages have been reported at some gas stations in the Krasnodar Territory and Rostov Oblast since the beginning of the month, and fuel prices have risen. Some stations have imposed limits on gasoline and diesel sales.
Oil refineries in southern Russia are regularly subject to air attacks. On June 10, a fire broke out at an oil refinery in the village of Afipsky. On June 5, an oil depot in Ust-Labinsk caught fire, requiring the evacuation of nearby residents. On June 2, a drone attack started a fire at an oil refinery in the village of Ilsky in the Seversky District. It was extinguished the same day. Krasnodar Krai authorities claim there is no fuel shortage, but residents of various cities in the Krasnodar Krai confirm some fuel problems. However, residents of Krasnodar, Adler, Lazarevskoye, Sochi, Gelendzhik, Anapa, Tuapse, and Goryachiy Klyuch interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" do not yet consider the changes to be significant.
In most cities in Kuban, residents haven't reported acute fuel shortages, a sharp rise in gasoline prices, or a noticeable increase in the cost of goods. Isolated outages, temporary closures of gas stations, and restrictions on fuel sales have been observed, primarily at small, privately owned gas stations. Most residents cite the gradual rise in prices as the main problem, which, in their opinion, affects not only the cost of travel but also the prices of goods and services. None of the respondents associated the problem with drone attacks on oil infrastructure facilities in the region, and the cause of the current situation was rarely raised in conversations. The survey is not representative and reflects only the personal opinions of respondents.
Andrey, a 42-year-old Sochi resident and employee of the municipal Vodokanal service, hasn't noticed any fuel shortages in the city. He says his family's transportation hasn't changed, but gasoline has become more expensive, so they try to avoid unnecessary use of the car. Public transportation is operating as usual, but she believes that prices for virtually all goods and services are rising.
Marina, a 51-year-old entrepreneur from Sochi, doesn't drive herself, but regularly hears complaints from her brother, who drives. He says gas prices are rising almost constantly. Marina claims that two gas stations were closed on the stretch of road between Donskoy and Dagomys: the signs were out of order, and there were no staff on site. She hasn't yet observed any restrictions on fuel supplies, but believes that signs of a fuel crisis are gradually reaching the Black Sea coast.
According to the Kuban task force, fuel was temporarily suspended at 15 stations, primarily small private ones in Krasnodar, Krasnoarmeysky, Kushchevsky, Slavyansky, and Ust-Labinsky districts. In the Temryuk district, queues, sometimes hundreds of cars long, were recorded.
There are problems with AI-92 gasoline in Goryachy Klyuch, which is used in brush cutters, according to Valentina, a 54-year-old entrepreneur from Goryachy Klyuch. She says the fuel isn't being sold in canisters, and one of her scheduled meetings was rescheduled because people couldn't attend due to the shortage. Public transportation is fine, and taxi prices, as far as she knows, haven't increased. The situation has even prompted her to consider buying an electric brush cutter instead of a gas one.
Andrey, a 70-year-old pensioner from the Lazarevskoye settlement, hasn't experienced any serious gasoline shortages. "There have only been short-term delays of one or two hours with fuel delivery," he said. After receiving his pension, he and his wife decided to fill up the tank just in case: the family rarely uses their car, so the situation hasn't had much of an impact on their daily life. The pensioner added that he had noticed a rise in the price of vegetables, and AI-95 gasoline at the Rosneft station cost around 71 rubles per liter in early June.
Elena, a 35-year-old Adler resident, primary school teacher, and mother of many children, also hasn't noticed any fuel shortages. She drives a compact car, which doesn't notice the increase in expenses as much, but owners of larger vehicles, as she knows from conversations with them, are forced to economize. According to her, rising transportation costs are already affecting the cost of goods, and the quality of gasoline, in her opinion, has deteriorated: "the gasoline is clearly being diluted."
Elena, a 68-year-old pensioner from Sochi, hasn't encountered any restrictions when filling up. The family has four cars, and their usual travel schedule hasn't changed. "AI-95 gasoline has been costing around 71 rubles per liter and continues to cost about the same," she said.
Sergey, a 71-year-old pensioner from Tuapse, frequently drives around the region and communicates with drivers. He claims that many of his acquaintances have encountered restrictions at gas stations. "At various gas stations in various cities across the region, in early and mid-June, there were cases where they dispensed no more than 20 liters per tank, and refilling canisters was prohibited," he said. He believes that fuel delivery difficulties do exist: interruptions are still intermittent, but the problem could worsen in the future.
Andrey, a 25-year-old resident of Krasnodar, works in pizza delivery. I used to deliver pizzas in my car, but after seeing empty gas stations with "Out of Gas" signs around town several times, I switched to an electric scooter.
"Honestly, I don't mind, and I like the scooter better; it's more convenient. No need to park, no need to pay for gas, no need to worry about whether or not they'll deliver gas. Electric cars and scooters are our green future, and I'm even glad there's some gasoline shortage. I think there are noticeably fewer cars on the roads in Krasnodar, and the air has gotten cleaner. So, every cloud has a silver lining," says the pizza delivery driver.
Ilya, a 40-year-old entrepreneur and activist from Anapa, owns an electric car, so he hasn't personally experienced any fuel shortages. He hadn't heard any complaints from fellow motorists, so he concluded that the situation in Anapa remained relatively calm.