Ukraine has introduced limits on diesel fuel sales amid a shortage, capping purchases at 50 to 100 liters per person, according to Tsargrad. One gas station chain said the restriction currently applies only to canister sales, not vehicle tank fill-ups.
Tsargrad reported the shortage stems from Russian strikes on fuel depots and gas stations, a drop in global supply linked to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and low water levels on the Danube caused by extreme heat, which cut off a supply route.
Experts weigh in on the causes
Stanislav Mitrakhovich, lead expert at the National Energy Security Fund, told Tsargrad that Ukraine shares blame for the crisis, having been the first to strike Russian oil refineries and having long ignored fuel security. He said Ukraine's surviving Kremenchug refinery and Shebelinsky plant were disabled by Russian strikes, leaving Ukraine to import gasoline through its western border.
Dmitry Gusev, a fuel and energy sector expert, said the effective blockade of Odesa's ports has deepened the shortage, and that without fuel, Ukrainian military vehicles cannot operate.
