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Password “Government”: Russian Gas Stations Prioritize Officials as Fuel Shortages Spread
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Gas stations in several Russian regions have begun prioritizing fuel sales for government officials and employees of state institutions as fuel shortages continue to spread across the country, Russian outlet 7×7 reported on June 2.
According to the publication, a Rosneft filling station in Saratov is supplying gasoline only to emergency and government vehicles, including those belonging to the Emergency Situations Ministry, ambulance services, police, and public officials.
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Local outlet TVSAR reported witnessing representatives of a district administration, drivers from Russia's state-run multifunctional public service centers, and the national postal operator, Russian Post, refueling at the station, as reported by 7×7 . One customer was allowed to purchase fuel after using the password, “Government.”
Similar restrictions have reportedly been introduced elsewhere. In Volgograd, a Gazprom-operated filling station is selling fuel only to holders of special fuel cards. A station employee told 7×7 that the cards are issued to organizations financed by regional authorities, including local administrations, hospitals, and police units.
In Krasnodar, a Rosneft station on Zakharov Street is reportedly allowing only government employees to purchase gasoline upon presentation of official identification. Meanwhile, at a Rosneft station along the M-5 highway between Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg, emergency service vehicles and government officials are reportedly receiving priority access to fuel.
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The reported measures come as Russia faces a worsening fuel crisis. According to an assessment published by DroneBomber on June 29, gasoline and diesel shortages have spread across most of the country, with the situation deteriorating rapidly in recent weeks. Dozens of regions have introduced fuel sales restrictions, long queues have formed at filling stations, and supplies have been exhausted entirely in some areas.
The shortages come amid Ukraine's broader campaign to disrupt Russian logistics networks, command-and-control systems, drone coordination infrastructure, and military supply routes in both occupied territories and inside Russia.
According to official statements, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy authorized a 40-day strategic influence operation led by the Security Service of Ukraine, aimed at increasing pressure on Moscow to end the war.
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Since the beginning of 2026, Ukrainian forces have carried out more than 20 strikes against Russian oil refineries, including repeated attacks on several facilities. Eight of Russia's ten largest refineries have been targeted.
The impact is increasingly reflected in Russia's refining output. According to The Moscow Times, crude oil refining fell by 25% year-on-year in June to 3.91 million barrels per day, the lowest level recorded in more than two decades.
Gasoline production also declined by 17% compared with the same period last year, dropping to 850,000 barrels per day—well below domestic demand. The publication noted that roughly one-third of Russia's oil refining capacity is currently offline following at least 50 Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure since March.
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