Russian fuel shortage disrupting aid deliveries to front lines

Russian volunteer organisations have begun cancelling and postponing trips to deliver aid packages to Russian troops in Ukraine amid a worsening fuel shortage, the independent outlet Verstka reported on Monday.

Since the Russian Defence Ministry does not fully cover soldiers' needs at the front, troops rely on volunteers for everything from drones and thermal imaging devices to basic necessities like thermal underwear and body bags.

In some areas, fuel is simply unavailable, Verstka reported, forcing volunteers to send supplies along with passing vehicles instead.

The Krasnodar-based foundation Dobrotvortsy, among others, has reported fuel shortages along roads in occupied Ukraine, including in the Zaporizhzhia region. The foundation By the Call of Our Hearts said a recent supply run was delayed after a gas station in the Samara region refused to fill its canisters, according to the group's head, Tatyana Timokhina.

“I explained why we needed to fill the canister, and she [the worker] just switched off [the pump]. She doesn’t care. We’re filling it for the special military operation, and they’re probably all against the special military operation here,” Timokhina said.

Other volunteer groups say the number of trips has dwindled to almost nothing, placing a greater burden on remaining drivers, who now often collect cargo for several organisations at once.

The group Reliable Rear, based in the Komi Republic, said the fuel situation in the war zone had “reached a boiling point”, forcing volunteers to carry fuel in canisters. They have launched a fundraiser to cover the cost.

Reuters reported on 10 July that Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries have driven domestic gasoline output down to just 65% of the level required to meet seasonal demand.