Russia’s Orenburg region near the border with Kazakhstan has introduced fuel rationing and an odd-even license plate system at gas stations, following a Ukrainian drone attack on a local oil refinery.
“I’ll be honest, our region is facing a difficult fuel situation. The enemy’s latest terrorist act has created certain problems,” Orenburg region Governor Yevgeny Solntsev said Wednesday.
The Ukrainian military said Tuesday it had attacked the Orsknefteorgsintez refinery, located around 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from the border with Ukraine. The refinery has an annual processing capacity of 6.6 million metric tons.
Under the new restrictions, drivers with license plates ending in even numbers are limited to fuel purchases on even days, while those with license plates ending in odd numbers are limited to fuel purchases on odd days.
Authorities have also capped individual fuel purchases at 30 liters (8 gallons) of gasoline per customer and banned sales into portable containers.
Police officers and volunteers have been deployed to gas stations in the region to enforce order and manage growing lines.
Solntsev said the restrictions were put in place to keep emergency services running. He added that “agreements are in place with other regions and we’re stepping up cooperation with Russian Railways” to address the local shortage.
Orenburg is the 16th reported region to face renewed fuel disruptions following a brief period of stabilization in late July that was disrupted by fresh Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure.
