The authorities administering Crimea announced a restriction on the sale of premium-grade gasoline, setting a limit of 20 liters per person per day effective from May 30. Officials framed the measure as a temporary step to manage scarce supplies after the peninsula’s fuel deliveries were disrupted. Local leaders also appealed to residents not to accumulate reserves.
The move affects AI-95, a widely used premium petrol grade, and comes as station operators across the peninsula report constrained availability of several fuel types. Government channels published a list showing which outlets had stock, and regional officials offered periodic updates as the situation evolved.
What prompted the rationing
Officials say the rationing follows interruptions along a key land corridor that previously supplied large volumes of fuel to Crimea. Independent reporting attributes the immediate constraints to drone strikes that limited traffic flow along that so-called land bridge. This route had been one of Crimea’s main fuel arteries since 2026.
Impact on deliveries
The disruption reduced the throughput of tanker traffic and created bottlenecks for distribution networks. As a result, many filling stations have either reduced the range of grades available or are selling them in rationed amounts. Diesel supplies have also been affected, though coverage varies by location.
Local responses and official statements
Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed head of the region, asked residents to refrain from hoarding and to continue refueling in their normal patterns. His appeal sought to calm buyer behavior and prevent panic-driven shortages at service stations across the peninsula.
On-the-ground reporting
Mikhail Razvozhaev, also a Russian-installed governor in the region, reported that by Friday morning most gasoline grades had disappeared from pumps at many stations, with diesel only intermittently available. He indicated that sales would be back in operation on the following Saturday, while acknowledging the temporary nature of the scarcity.
Availability and official lists
Crimea’s Ministry of Fuel and Energy published a document detailing the status of service stations as of May 29. The list covered 148 stations across the peninsula and flagged where fuel was available and where rationing was in effect. At most locations included in the list, different grades of petrol were being distributed under limits rather than sold freely.
How consumers can check supply
The ministry’s list has been presented as a practical resource for drivers seeking stations with stock. The inventory snapshot helps motorists identify outlets that may still offer AI-95 or alternative grades, although the supply situation can change rapidly as deliveries are received or sold out.
Broader context and logistics
Since 2026, the overland corridor that connects Crimea with supply regions outside the peninsula has been a central logistical route for fuel and other goods. Interruptions to that corridor, whether from security incidents or other causes, have an outsized effect on fuel availability in a region with limited alternative supply lines.
The current constraints highlight the vulnerability of long, concentrated supply chains when faced with targeted disruptions. Rationing measures such as daily caps are intended to spread limited inventories over a larger population and reduce the risk of immediate shortages driven by panic buying.
Transparency about reporting methods
The translated coverage you are reading was prepared by a human journalist and rendered into English using a configured AI model that follows editorial guidelines. An editor reviewed the translation to ensure accuracy and compliance with newsroom standards. Readers concerned about any potential errors are invited to report them through the publisher’s contact channels.
While the situation remains fluid, the posted station list and official statements provide the clearest available picture of how fuel is being managed on the ground. Motorists in Crimea are therefore advised to consult official updates, avoid hoarding behavior, and plan for variable availability of AI-95 and other fuels.
