Authorities in Russia's Novosibirsk region have recommended that employers switch staff to remote working and residents limit travel by private vehicle, as a deepening fuel crisis triggered by Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries continues to spread across the country. The region, home to almost three million people and a major economic and manufacturing hub in Siberia, issued the decree on Wednesday, which was published by Russian media on Friday.
Fuel shortages affect over 90% of Russian regions
According to local media reports and officials, more than 90 percent of Russian regions have experienced fuel shortages since June. Some regions have introduced rationing at petrol stations and bans on filling jerry cans. The crisis has been exacerbated by Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, including a recent attack on an oil refinery in the neighboring Omsk region, which knocked out one of Russia's largest oil processing facilities by capacity.
Neighboring regions follow suit
The neighboring Tomsk region has also encouraged remote work, telling government officials to reconsider business trips and hold meetings online. The city of Irkutsk, further east, has similarly recommended that employees work from home. The Novosibirsk decree advises residents to limit travel by private vehicle within the region and outside its borders until the state of high alert is lifted.
Ukrainian strikes and Russian response
Ukraine has targeted Russian oil and gas infrastructure throughout the four-and-a-half-year war, stating that these strikes are fair retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians. Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged the fuel shortages but described them as "not critical," accusing Kyiv of trying to sow division in Russian society.
