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Fuel Shortages Leave Russian Mobile Air Defense Groups Stranded in Temporarily Occupied Crimea
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Russian air defense units in temporarily occupied Crimea and parts of the Kherson region are facing fuel shortages severe enough to restrict the movement of mobile air defense groups, according to the partisan movement ATESH.
In a statement published on July 10, ATESH said its agents embedded within Russian military units in temporarily occupied Crimea and the Kherson region reported that Russian command had imposed strict fuel rationing for mobile fire groups (MOGs) and air defense units responsible for countering Ukrainian drones.
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According to the movement, the shortages have affected several Russian formations, including the 1096th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the 22nd Army Corps in occupied Crimea, mobile fire groups operating near Chongar along the R-280 highway, and air defense and drone units of Russia's 49th Combined Arms Army in the occupied part of the Kherson region.
“Fuel is being issued in tiny amounts. You can only start the vehicle if it's for a combat mission. The rest of the time the equipment remains idle. If you run out of fuel on the road, you simply abandon the vehicle and run to the nearest trench or village to wait out the drones,” one ATESH agent embedded with an air defense unit near Chongar was quoted as saying.
ATESH said its agents had documented cases in which Russian crews were forced to leave vehicles behind after running out of fuel while traveling between occupied Henichesk and Skadovsk in the rear area of the Kherson region.
According to the movement, the abandoned vehicles often remain exposed in open terrain until they are detected by Ukrainian drones.
“The occupying command does not publicize the scale of the problem, but disruptions to something as basic as fuel supplies reveal the true state of logistics within the Russian army,” ATESH added.
Days earlier, Reuters, citing Ukrainian military commanders, reported that Russian forces had begun disguising fuel shipments as civilian water and milk tankers in an effort to conceal military logistics from Ukrainian drone surveillance.
According to the commanders, the tactic has become common enough that Ukrainian drone operators now routinely treat such vehicles as potential fuel carriers when they are spotted on supply routes leading to temorarily occupied Crimea.
The fuel shortages are unfolding as Ukraine's 40-day strategic operation enters its third week, with Ukrainian forces continuing systematic strikes on Russia's oil infrastructure, fuel logistics, critical energy infrastructure, and shadow fleet.
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