Lauge Risom Koch 
Russian authorities have deployed teachers, volunteers and local patrol groups to gas stations to help manage fuel shortages as Ukrainian strikes continue to disrupt the country’s oil refining sector.
Russian regional authorities are introducing emergency measures to manage growing fuel shortages, with teachers, volunteers and local security groups being deployed to gas stations to help control long queues and inform motorists about fuel restrictions.
According to the Kyiv Post, citing Russian outlet Real Time, authorities in the Krasnodar region have instructed public school teachers to work shifts at filling stations during their summer holidays as fuel shortages continue following Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.
Teachers at stations
The Kyiv Post reported that the administration of the Dinsky district directed local schools to assign teachers to monitor queues and help manage interactions with frustrated drivers.
Local officials said the shifts were voluntary, limited to male staff and compensated only with complimentary tea and coffee. However, complaints shared in local community groups claimed that female employees were also assigned to the work under threat of dismissal, with some expressing concerns about handling tense situations with motorists.
Restrictions expand
According to the Kyiv Post, similar measures have been introduced in the Pskov region, where volunteers and members of local patrol groups are monitoring fuel queues and informing drivers about purchase limits.
Several Russian regions, including Karelia, Mordovia, Oryol, Lipetsk, Astrakhan and Kirov, have also announced fuel rationing based on vehicle registration numbers, while officials in the Irkutsk region are proposing an electronic queuing system to reduce congestion at gas stations.
Refining capacity hit
The Kyiv Post said the measures follow a Ukrainian military assessment claiming that strikes on Russian oil infrastructure have disabled 42.7% of the country’s projected oil refining capacity.
The report also cited Reuters data indicating that Russia’s fuel production fell by 25% year-on-year in June and is operating below domestic demand, contributing to shortages across dozens of regions.
Reuters reported that reduced fuel supplies have also disrupted freight transport, with logistics companies facing longer refueling delays and higher operating costs.
Sources: Kyiv Post, Real Time, Reuters
