Hunting for gasoline and dieselTelegram – a new Russian gas station
July 19, 2026, 9:52 am 
Christian Herrmann
Listen to the article(07:51 min)
Out of service: The Moscow gas station remained empty and empty. (Photo: IMAGO/SNA)SplitFollow along:
Russia is one of the largest oil producing countries in the world. But for several weeks now, the situation at Russian gas stations has been subsiding: attacks by Ukrainian drones on oil refineries are yielding results. Gasoline and diesel fuel are running out. Many Russians are taking their destiny into their own hands.
Visiting a gas station is currently a stressful experience for many Russian drivers, either facing long queues or empty petrol pumps. Or both. In the Siberian city of Irkutsk, drivers report waiting twelve hours without knowing whether gasoline or diesel is still available. In the Far East, a helicopter in Transbaikalia filmed a kilometer-long avalanche of metal that took 28 hours to reach a gas station.
Even in Moscow, which is otherwise well supplied, patience is required: in the Russian capital, drivers with an empty tank can also wait in line for two hours because the gas station simply won’t open. Will they then receive gasoline or diesel fuel? Not clear.
Russia is running out of fuel. One of the largest oil powers of our time remains in a drought. Ukrainian drones have disabled at least eight of the country’s 10 largest oil refineries. Even Vladimir Putin can no longer deny it.
In mid-June, Russian gasoline prices rose more in a week than in 20 years. In annexed Crimea, the authorities had to stop selling fuel in mid-June: there was simply no fuel left. Tourism on the peninsula, popular among Russian holidaymakers, has been temporarily suspended until September.
The next bad news came in early July: Russia had to ban the export of diesel fuel. Russia has already limited the sale of gasoline and kerosene abroad. And the population seems to believe that the Russian president bears personal responsibility for the crisis. Even in polls conducted by state sociological institutes, Vladimir Putin received his lowest approval rating since the start of the war.
Searching for gasoline on the Internet
Dissatisfaction is expressed in other ways. Frustrated drivers are increasingly attacking each other at gas stations. The number of thefts of gasoline and diesel fuel is increasing. Many Russians are taking their destiny into their own hands: the gray and black market for fuel is developing.
“Telegram is a new gas station,” reports Novaya Gazeta Europe. A number of channels are full of advertisements and messages from people who offer or want to buy fuel.
Interest is especially high in Crimea. Sellers promise that gasoline will be delivered directly to customers’ cars. Delivery is often carried out by taxi. Sellers promise delivery within four hours. At least if part of the amount is paid in advance.
Novaya Gazeta Europe followed one of the suggestions: In the Russian city of Krasnodar, about 200 kilometers east of Crimea, a tanker truck is being filled with gasoline. On the way to Moscow, he makes several planned stops and distributes fuel to those who ordered and paid for it on Telegram. However, the newspaper was unable to verify whether customers actually received their orders.
According to the report, the offerings are now becoming more sophisticated. Anyone looking for information about gasoline on Telegram will quickly stumble upon the Canister Exchange app: using the app, users can register interest in gasoline throughout Russia or make an offer on fuel and find a suitable exchange partner. Since mid-July, the app has offered customers 150 rubles per liter of gasoline in Crimea and 100 rubles in the Moscow region. This corresponds to 1.69 euros and 1.12 euros per liter.
It’s a bargain by German standards, but by Russian usury: despite a recent hike in prices at the country’s gas stations, on average gasoline currently costs about 80 cents a liter – if you can get your hands on it.
Get rid of gasoline standards
The Russian government is not enthusiastic about fuel offers. She responds with desperate measures. The Federal Antimonopoly Service said it would work with Amazon-like online platforms Ozon, Wildberry and Avito to remove offers to sell fuel there. The authorities threaten private gasoline sellers with fines. It has also filed antitrust cases against three oil trading companies, accusing them of pooling fuel and reselling it at inflated prices.
In addition, at the beginning of July, the Russian government adopted an emergency decree. This allows you to sell old and dirty Euro-3 gasoline. In Russia this is actually no longer allowed: Euro 5 has been the standard since 2016.
According to the Russian business newspaper Kommersant, they are even considering the possibility of allowing Euro-2 fuel. It has been banned in Russia since 2013. According to Novaya Gazeta Europe, experts warn against this step: they fear new diseases due to deteriorating air quality. Dirty gasoline also harms cars with modern engines.
But the Russian government is not addressing the underlying problem with fines and regulations: Ukraine can continue to attack Russian refineries unchecked, throwing the domestic fuel market into chaos. At the same time, it undermines Putin’s most important source of income, tied to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
Bring an electric car
The Russian population no longer wants to wait for hours for a place at a gas station and is also filing a lawsuit. Many Russians install a gas tank and convert their car to run on autogas (LPG) – if they find a workshop with such power. In an interview with NTV, the workshop owner reports hundreds of orders every day, of which he can complete 30 to 40.
Many people are also following the example of Germany or Europe during the Iran war by flocking to car dealerships to buy electric cars – preferably cheap Chinese models, Reuters reports. The transition hasn’t made much sense until now due to ultra-low gas prices. Ukrainian drone strikes turned the situation upside down. A Russian car dealer specializing in Chinese brands tells Reuters: “It currently makes a full month’s worth of sales every day.