What does a Russian summer look like without gasoline? Imagine 18-hour lines, National Guard patrols, and Brodsky parodies.
Meduza
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Russia’s fuel crisis, triggered by sustained Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries, grows more severe by the day.
Gasoline shortages, or sharp spikes in demand driven by fears of a deeper deficit, have been reported in nearly every region of the country.
Over the weekend, even President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the shortages, though he added that the gasoline deficit is “not critical.” Authorities in 26 regions have already imposed restrictions on fuel sales, but so far those measures have done little to contain the crisis.
Lines at gas stations keep getting longer, and Russians are flooding social media with complaints that they can’t fill up their cars.
Meduza has collected some of the most striking online reactions to the fuel shortage.