OR Russia It boasts the fact that it is an energy superpower, but some of its citizens suddenly find it difficult to fill their car tanks after weeks of Ukrainian attacks with drones that on refineries across the country, according to the Guardian. In several areas, stocks have been exhausted at stations while prices have reached historically high and drivers wait for hours.

During the summer, Kiev intensified its attacks by drones against Russia’s energy infrastructure, a strategy aimed at putting pressure on Moscow and show that Ukraine He still has an influence on the peacekeeping talks under the leadership of US President Donald Trump.

Lack of fuel is more intense in remote areas, such as the Far East, Southern Russia and Crimea, where drivers were forced to turn to more expensive fuels due to the lack of the usual petrol A-95.

According to the Guardian, analysts estimate that recent Ukraine attacks on Russian refineries oil They have disturbed at least 17% of Russia’s total refinement capacity, which is equivalent to 1.1 million barrels a day.

According to media reports, between August 2 and 24, Ukraine carried at least twelve attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, with most targeting facilities along the Rryazan-Volgograd corridor in the southwestern part of the country.

The latest attack took place on Wednesday, when the Ukrainian media reported that a strong explosion hit the Riazan-Moscow oil pipeline, one of the main pipelines supplying the capital.

“It’s not the first fuel crisis; it has happened several times before the war,” said Boris Arontein, an independent oil and gas analyst. However, according to Arontein, Ukrainian drones attacks on refineries and storage facilities have made the crisis more serious in recent years.

Wholesale prices for the A-95 gasoline-the most widespread in Russia-have reached historically high last week, rising to 82,300 rubles (£ 760) per tonne, almost 54% higher than in January.

At first glance, the lack of fuel in Russia contradicts its status as one of the world’s leading energy exporters, exporting oil to markets such as China and India.

Trump imposed extensive tariffs on US imports from India this week, citing the country’s dependence on Russian oil at discounted prices. However, the slow must be processed to gasoline and diesel, and much of Russia’s refining system is oriented to export products.

Analysts say, the Guardian stresses, that one of the main weaknesses in the industry is the lack of a real security in stock in domestic gasoline production. Production covers the domestic demand marginally, making the system extremely vulnerable to disorders.

And while drones attacks usually affect only part of the productive capacity of a refinery, sanctions have cut Russia from Western technology, making repairs slower and more complex.

Even before the most recent attacks, Moscow had strictly strictly exported gasoline in July to tackle the increase in domestic demand.

Russian social media has been flooded with videos with frustrated drivers protesting the lack of fuel and pricing. “We have been waiting for hours and no one knows if we will be able to fill our cars,” one man said as he was passing by his car in front of a huge tail in Dalnegorsk, on the edge of the east side of the country.

Motorist’s den, a popular Russian car channel in Telegram, has humorously commented that “it seems that gasoline will soon flow into champagne glasses instead of fuel tanks.”

Another popular post is joking: “Filling the tank is almost like going to a boutique: you start to buy one liter and returning on an empty wallet and the philosophical thought that maybe walking is not so bad.”

The current crisis has deteriorated due to the time, as August is traditionally the most difficult month to buy fuel in Russia as demand increases, refineries are undergoing scheduled maintenance and exporters seek higher seasonal prices abroad.

What is usually a predictable seasonal issue this year has evolved into a complete shortage, as Ukrainian drones have hit basic facilities.

Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, is one of the most affected areas. The peninsula, which usually hosts a large number of Russian tourists in the summer, has closed its airports due to the threat of drones, forcing visitors to use the roads and increasing pressure on the already few supplies. Authorities have invited people to maintain their temper. The Cremlin -appointed head of Crimea asked residents to “understand gasoline restrictions”, warning that the situation may be extended for another month. “All possible measures to stabilize prices are now taken by both the federal government and us,” he said.

Although shortcomings are politically unpleasant to the Kremlin, analysts warn that it is currently unlikely to undermine Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine or heavy industry.

Much of the country’s industrial fleet and military equipment operates with diesel rather than gasoline, and Russia still has a surplus in it.

“There is still a long way to go before the transport, agriculture and industry – or, most importantly, the army – are facing a significant lack of fuel,” said Sergei Baculenko, a senior researcher at Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, who has previously worked at Gazprom.

However, with Ukraine showing no sign of deceleration on attacks with drones, economists say the lack of fuel could continue until winter. In the worst case, according to Baculenko, authorities will be forced to resort to gasoline distribution.