Russian military strikes have damaged or destroyed around 300 petrol stations across Ukraine over the past six months, First Deputy Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told parliament.
Speaking during a question hour in the Verkhovna Rada, Shmyhal said petrol station networks are de facto critical infrastructure facilities that keep the market and public supplied with fuel while under direct attack. He described the damage as significant losses for the national economy.
Winter fuel reserves and infrastructure protection
Shmyhal told lawmakers that government officials maintain a weekly coordinated dialogue with fuel station operators to keep energy supplies moving. He added that Ukraine is accumulating stockpiles of petroleum products ahead of winter to power electricity generators and supply critical infrastructure.
The Verkhovna Rada is Ukraine's unicameral parliament in Kyiv, where government ministers regularly report on defense and economic policy. As energy minister, Shmyhal oversees national efforts to protect key utilities and secure fuel supplies during the conflict with Russia.
Regional destruction in Sumy and Poltava
Recent bombardment has wiped out fuel infrastructure across entire communities near the border with Russia. In mid-June, Russian attacks destroyed the last remaining petrol stations in Trostyanets. On July 2, regional authorities in Sumy Oblast began deploying mobile fuel units to restore service for local residents.
Russian forces also destroyed every filling station in the Opishnya hromada of Poltava Oblast on August 9. The community is located 85 kilometres from the Russian border. In Kharkiv Oblast, emergency services responded to a strike on a petrol station in Izium on July 5.
Sumy Oblast in northeastern Ukraine shares a long border with Russia, leaving its towns vulnerable to shelling and drone strikes. Poltava Oblast lies further south in central Ukraine, serving as a key transit corridor for regional transport.
Mobile filling stations and legislative plans
To address energy shortages in hard-hit areas, Ukrainian lawmakers and state energy companies are developing alternative distribution methods. Olha Vasylevska-Smagliuk, a member of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax and customs policy, said a legal mechanism is being prepared to allow mobile refuelling complexes to operate in communities where static stations have been destroyed.
National oil producer Ukrnafta is also preparing emergency measures to keep fuel flowing. Bohdan Kukura, chairman of the board at Ukrnafta, said the company plans to purchase several fuel tanker trucks to function as mobile filling stations if necessary.
Ukrnafta is the largest oil producing company in Ukraine, operating hundreds of filling stations nationwide. The transition to mobile units aims to ensure emergency responders, local businesses, and residents retain access to fuel despite ongoing strikes.
