Russians Are Googling How to Make Gasoline as Fuel Crisis Deepens

Russia’s worsening fuel shortages are driving a sharp increase in online searches for information about making gasoline, finding available fuel, and improving fuel quality.

According to search data reviewed by The Bell and published on July 7, Russian users searched for “how to make gasoline” approximately 17,100 times in June, citing Yandex  Wordstat.

That was roughly three times more than in May and the highest monthly level since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Similar trends were reflected in Google Trends, where interest in the query reached its highest recorded level between June 22 and June 27.

The data indicates that searches originated most frequently from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, as well as the Russian-occupied cities of Sevastopol and Simferopol. Users also searched for phrases including “homemade gasoline,” “how to turn 92-octane into 95,” and “how to make gasoline from oil.”

The Bell also reported a significant increase in searches related to fuel availability. According to Yandex Wordstat, the phrase “where is gasoline” was searched about 2 million times in June, compared with roughly 109,000 searches in May.

Daily search activity peaked at more than 318,000 queries on July 3, while Google Trends recorded an 18-fold increase in searches for “where to buy gasoline” during June.

Interest in fuel additives also rose during the same period. Yandex Wordstat recorded around 36,000 searches for gasoline additives in June, more than five times the May level, while broader searches for “additive” exceeded 310,000, representing a 58% month-over-month increase. Google Trends similarly showed a sharp rise in interest beginning in mid-June.

The surge in online searches comes as Russia continues to face fuel supply disruptions following repeated Ukrainian long-range strikes against oil refineries. On July 6, Ukraine struck the Omsk Oil Refinery—Russia’s largest—completing a campaign that has now reached all 11 of the country’s biggest refineries. According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the strikes have disabled 42.7% of Russia’s oil refining capacity, contributing to nationwide gasoline shortages.

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