Fuel Crisis: Gasoline Prices in Crimea Have Reached 200 Rubles per Liter
2 July 21:15
The average price of gasoline at gas stations in Sevastopol has reached 199 rubles per liter, and across Crimea as a whole, it ranges from 185 to 200 rubles, according to "Komersant Ukrainian", citing Russian propaganda media.
Cut off from supplies, the annexed Crimea has become the epicenter of a fuel crisis with the strictest restrictions at gas stations: individuals are prohibited from filling up more than 20 liters at a time, and in Sevastopol, refueling is only possible using QR codes, which can only be obtained through the state-run messaging app Makh.
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According to media reports, Crimean gas stations briefly open for fuel sales without warning and without displaying prices on their signs. People line up for hours under the scorching sun at the stations. On the black market, gasoline can be bought from resellers for 250–400 rubles per liter.
Rosstat does not report such gasoline prices in Crimea: according to its data, during the week of June 23–29, a liter of AI-92 on the peninsula cost 81.08 rubles, and a liter of AI-95 cost 88.82 rubles. In Sevastopol, according to Rosstat, gasoline prices rose by 30% over the week to 97.95 rubles per liter of AI-92 and 129.68 rubles per liter of AI-95.
Across Russia as a whole, gasoline prices rose by 1.6% over the week and by 6.7% since the beginning of June, marking a record high since 2009. The annual price increase approached 20%, the highest in the last 16 years.
In addition to Crimea, where prices exceeded 80 rubles per liter, average gasoline prices rose in the Voronezh Region, Kabardino-Balkaria, the Tyumen Region, Yakutia, the Trans-Baikal Territory, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and the Magadan Region. In Chechnya and Dagestan, the average price reached 93–94 rubles per liter, and in the Republic of Tuva, it reached 103 rubles, according to Rosstat data.
Following attacks on oil refineries—which have affected 9 out of the 10 largest plants over the past two months—the gasoline market has split: Gas stations operated by major oil companies continue to sell at prices close to pre-crisis levels, while prices at private chains have reached 120 and even 140 rubles per liter. Wholesale prices at oil depots remain around 114–118 rubles per liter for AI-92 and 125–128 rubles per liter for AI-95.
Oil refining volumes in Russia fell in June to around 4 million barrels per day—the lowest level since the early 2000s. In July, refineries will most likely be unable to increase their operating rates, said an industry source. According to him, “in the best-case scenario,” oil refining will remain at June’s level, provided there are no new disruptions affecting the refineries.
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