Russia nearly running out of fuel as crippling Ukraine war sanctions bite

Kim Jong-un expresses support for Russia in meeting with Putin

Russia’s war on Ukraine has led to them nearly running out of fuel and food, as crippling sanctions continue to isolate them.

Since the start of Moscow’s “special military operation” on February 24 last year, the West has slammed Vladimir Putin with sanctions on oil and other key exports.

While Russia has its own supply of oil and gas, state-run media has admitted the country is facing fuel shortages nationwide.

And as firms sell Russian oil overseas to make more money, ministers are warning of a “disaster” for farmers.

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On September 6, Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev said fuel shortages are threatening to disrupt fall harvesting and sowing.

“We already have problems with the availability [of fuel],” he said according to state-run news agency Intermix.

“We will now stop harvesting, and we will not sow winter crops. It will be a disaster.

“Maybe it’s time to temporarily stop exports of oil products until we stabilize the situation on the domestic market.”

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Oil and gas analyst Mikhail Krutikhin also told independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta it is better for Russian firms to “export as much as possible and get at least some money there”.

He added: “Moreover, this is happening throughout the country; even in the Far East, fuel shortages have begun to be felt.

“They export everything that is possible.”

Konstantin Sonin, a Russian-born political economist from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, told Newsweek: “Western sanctions seriously disrupt the Russian economy.

“At the very least, they increase production costs for Russian enterprises.”

Sonin added: “Because of sanctions, the Russian military industry pays more for every foreign input, because now it includes paying additional money to intermediaries, bearing legal costs of avoidance, and losing more to thieves and crooks as any concealed transaction is a fertile ground for stealing.

“Sanctions cannot destroy the Russian economy—sanctions are not missiles or bombs—but they slow down the production and decrease the volume of what Russia produces.”

Meanwhile, Putin has looked to North Korea as a new partner, and met with Kim Jong-un this week.

In their meeting, Kim gave Putin his unwavering support to the invasion of Ukraine, and the Russian leader said Moscow is “waging a sacred fight to defend its sovereignty”.

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