Drivers face fuel purchase restrictions at petrol stations in Karelia and Arkhangelsk
Regional officials insist the measures are due to seasonal demand and that there is no fuel shortage in the republic.
At least two privately owned petrol stations — one in the Loukhi district and another in Kostomuksha — have introduced restrictions on petrol sales. The station in Loukhi is limiting purchases to 20 litres per vehicle and will only dispense fuel directly into a car’s tank; filling jerry cans is prohibited. The station in Kostomuksha has set a limit of 80 litres per customer.
Staff at the Loukhi station have also warned that the situation could worsen in the near future, with petrol potentially being reserved exclusively for emergency and essential services, including fire engines, ambulances and police vehicles.
Fuel prices have also been rising more rapidly across Karelia. Petrol grade AI-92 has increased by 1.7 per cent, AI-95 by 1.4 per cent, while diesel prices have risen by 0.9 per cent. Premium AI-98 petrol and higher grades have gone up by 0.1 per cent. By comparison, fuel prices were also increasing in mid-May, but at a much slower pace: AI-92 rose by only 0.6 per cent and AI-95 by 0.5 per cent during that period.
Karelia’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Svetlana Astakhova, said the restrictions were a necessary measure directly linked to the “traditional increase in fuel demand at the start of the summer holiday season”.
“To ensure the station can continue operating steadily and to distribute existing stocks responsibly until a new delivery arrives, the company has decided to introduce a temporary limit on fuel sales,” Astakhova said.
A similar situation is developing in the neighbouring Arkhangelsk region. Readers of the local Telegram channel 29.ru report that petrol stations in several towns and villages have suddenly imposed limits on fuel purchases. Some stations have capped sales at 50 litres per customer, while others allow no more than 20 litres.
Reports of fuel sales restrictions and shortages are emerging from dozens of Russian regions, including the Moscow area. Experts attribute the supply problems to the increasing number of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. In May 2026, Ukrainian drones carried out a record number of strikes against Russia’s oil infrastructure.
