Putin's Imperial Ambitions Have Run Up Against A Gasoline Shortage

• 13.11.2026, 12:55

The fuel shortage has reached Siberia.

Restrictions on gasoline sales are being imposed in Russian regions, including certain areas of Siberia. According to estimates, Ukrainian strikes have reduced the capacity of Russian oil refineries by approximately 30%. The fuel shortage has become noticeable to motorists and serves as a reminder of just how important a role oil plays in Putin’s policies, writes iPaper.

The restrictions have not yet affected Moscow and St. Petersburg—the measures were implemented in the regions. For the older generation, gasoline shortages are a reminder of the crisis during the final years of the Soviet Union, when the economic downturn was accompanied by long lines and shortages of goods. For young Russians, the car has become one of the few symbols of personal freedom.

In the 2000s, high energy prices helped Putin bolster his popularity amid rising living standards. Oil revenues also provided the Kremlin with the resources for military campaigns in Georgia, Syria, and Ukraine.

Another indicator of the cost of war is the data released by hackers after they breached Rosstat. According to this data, more than 400,000 Russian soldiers may have been killed in Ukraine. It is impossible to verify this figure. Denis Kasyanchuk, economics editor at The Bell , noted: “Several factors suggest that this data may be accurate.”

Negotiations in Abu Dhabi led to an agreement on preparing a prisoner exchange, but did not clarify the prospects for ending the war. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insists that a new European security architecture must be agreed upon before a ceasefire can be reached. Then, U.S. special envoys Steve Whitcoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow to meet with Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated: “We are all being very cautious about this issue because no one understands 100% what the Russians want.”