Russian soldiers have been forced to buy fuel for their vehicles from petrol stations after the army ran out of its own supplies. However, in a classic Catch-22, troops were unable to purchase fuel even at the petrol stations due to widespread shortages caused by Ukraine‘s continual bombing of Russia‘s oil refineries.
Kyiv has stepped up its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in a bid to prevent fuel reaching frontline units and to disrupt the Kremlin’s financing of its war machine. Sales of both oil and gas are one of the key sources of income for the Kremlin, which allows it to finance its brutal war in Ukraine. Kyiv’s strategic targeting of oil depots with its drones and missiles has seriously impacted production.
Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Moscow’s oil refining capacity has been reduced by as much as 20%.
The effects of Ukraine‘s attacks have been felt by Russian motorists who have had to queue for hours at petrol stations to fill up, as supplies run low.
And now it appears that fuel shortages are spreading to Russia‘s army, forcing soldiers to try and buy petrol at gas stations.
A Russian soldier in Donetsk filmed his forlorn attempt to purchase 120 litres of fuel for his vehicle. When he approached the cashier, she informed him that supplies were low and that he would need ration coupons to purchase what she still had in stock.
“This is needed for the soldiers, for combat missions, for evacuees, for the evacuation of the wounded… [I need] 120 litres of gasoline,” the soldier pleads.
“I can’t give you fuel that I don’t have,” the cashier replies. “I have some fuel left, but you can [only] have it … by coupons, by order of the gas station management.”
The fuming soldier retorts: “What kind of joke is this? … Nothing is more important than the lives of soldiers.
“It’s the same bullshit that’s going on. What do you mean? Some kind of nonsense is going on.”
To rub insult into injury, on the forecourt of the petrol station, black marketeers can be seen selling petrol for cash.
Meanwhile, overnight on Thursday, Ukrainian drones targeted the Slavneft-YANOS refinery, one of Russia’s largest in the north and a key supplier of fuel for military logistics.