Ukrainian Drone Strikes on Russian Refineries Spark Severe Fuel Panics Across Central Asia

Cossacks keep order at a petrol station and prevent conflicts due to fuel shortages in the Russian Black Sea resort of Anapa, July 8, 2026. A Russian woman explained on camera what made her and a smiling, bearded man next to her drive to a petrol station in Kazakhstan to simply fill the tank, captured in a viral video highlighting new terms in today’s Russia: “fuel tourism” and “gas hunting”.

For most of this year, swarms of Ukrainian drones have targeted Russian oil refineries and fuel depots from annexed Crimea to the Baltic to western Siberia. As Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to resume peace talks, claiming that his forces advance in all directions, tens of millions of Russians face fuel shortages and hours-long queues at petrol stations, occasionally leading to shouting and fist fights.

Those living in regions bordering Kazakhstan, including urban centers along the Volga River, are driving hundreds of kilometres to Central Asia just to fuel up. Despite the Kazakh government banning petrol exports in late May, border guards report thwarting hundreds of smuggling attempts involving canisters, makeshift fuel tanks, and giant fuel trucks crossing the 7,644km (4,750 miles) border.

“There’s total contraband along the border,” Timur, a businessman in Almaty, told Al Jazeera. Even with three giant, Soviet-era oil refineries, fuel prices in Kazakhstan increased by 15.6 percent this year, according to the UlusMedia website.

Other Central Asian nations are feeling the ripple effects, particularly Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which previously relied on Russia for up to 90 percent of their petrol. Galiya Ibragimova, a Moldova-based expert on Central Asia with Carnegie Politika, noted that these nations have been hurt the most. While Kyrgyzstan is in the Eurasian Economic Union, Tajikistan secured discounted Russian fuel through political loyalty rather than benevolence, according to Ibragimova.

A primary petrol source for Central Asia was Russia’s largest refinery in Omsk, which halted operations following Ukrainian drone attacks in early July. Kyrgyzstan subsequently began regulating petrol prices and seeking regional assistance, with energy expert Olzhas Baydildinov predicting long-term refinery problems lasting months or years. Kyrgyz deputy energy minister Nasipbek Kerimov stated the government pledged to subsidise petrol prices, spending about $11.4m by mid-month.

Tajikistan remains especially vulnerable as domestic oil processing accounts for just 0.5 percent of its consumption, leading to 20-litre per car limits at petrol stations. Deputy energy minister Daler Juma announced reserves would last at least 60 days, and in mid-August, he signed a deal in Tehran for 2.5 million tonnes of oil, petrol, and diesel from Iran. Tajikistan is also collaborating with the China National Petroleum Corporation to explore potential oil fields, with chief geologist Ilhomjon Oymukhammadzoda reporting that seismic reconnaissance reports are due by year-end.

Uzbekistan, which processes two-thirds of its petrol needs domestically, has begun amassing strategic reserves. Deputy energy minister Umid Mamadaminov stated they have enough reserves for two or three months. Meanwhile, many Uzbek drivers, such as Tashkent taxi driver Azamat Tolipov, rely on compressed natural gas. Analyst Ibragimova warns that global price hikes driven by conflicts involving the United States and Israel will make alternative suppliers more expensive, while Beijing benefits as sales of Chinese-made electric cars surge across the region, bolstered by trends highlighted by the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.