Key facts
- Russia began lifting fuel sales restrictions in 15 regions on October 29.
- Ukraine slowed refinery strikes after U.S. President Donald Trump declared an energy truce on October 11.
- Fuel shortages had escalated in Russia in mid-summer due to Ukrainian refinery attacks.
- A poll released October 28 indicated most Ukrainians favor continuing refinery strikes despite potential U.S. support reductions.
Russian regions have started to ease restrictions on gasoline sales, signaling an improvement in fuel availability following a slowdown in Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. This shift occurred amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump. Free fuel sales resumed in 15 regions, including occupied Crimea and Sevastopol, on October 29, according to Russian state-aligned newspaper Izvestia. Fuel shortages had intensified in mid-summer due to Ukrainian strikes disrupting refinery operations, impacting a key revenue source for Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine paused refinery attacks for three days after Trump unilaterally declared an energy truce on October 11. While Ukraine has not officially ordered a halt to such attacks, their frequency has decreased. However, fuel supply difficulties persist in some areas, such as Tambov Oblast and parts of Leningrad Oblast. Ukraine also reported experiencing disruptions to its early-warning systems and Starlink services, which officials believed were part of a pressure campaign from Washington.