Volgograd drivers are once again facing a shortage of gasoline.

Motorists from the Volgograd region reported that due to a lack of gasoline, they are forced to bypass several gas stations, wait in long lines, and ask for time off work to refuel. The situation may worsen in the fall due to scheduled repairs at oil refineries, the analyst noted.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", by the end of July, the fuel situation in the Volgograd region stabilized, with drivers reporting that queues at gas stations practically disappeared. However, most gas stations still faced issues with the absence of high-octane gasoline AI-98 and AI-100, and there were restrictions on fuel sales in canisters.

The Volgograd region is once again facing issues with gasoline availability at gas stations: residents reported that fuel can mainly be found in the morning at some stations, and drivers have to bypass several stations and wait in lines, Volganet.net reported on August 21.

A resident of Volgograd Alexey reported that he was late for work due to searching for gasoline. "I work in the center, live in Krasnoarmeysky. Yesterday I left two hours before my shift, bypassed all the gas stations on the way — everywhere there were signs saying 'No fuel'. I was only able to refuel at Mamaev Kurgan, but the line was so long that I was 40 minutes late for work. Now every morning I pray that the gas station I’m going to has gasoline. It’s just a lottery," the publication quoted him as saying.

A resident of the Voroshilovsky district of Volgograd Ekaterina also faced a fuel shortage during a trip to Astrakhan. "My husband and I drove to Astrakhan by car. The road became a real test of endurance – everywhere there were either empty pumps or signs saying 'Fuel only by card'. We thought we would have to call a tow truck or leave the car in some settlement and come back for it with a canister. We barely made it to Volgograd – literally on fumes. We decided to spend the rest of the summer in the city where there is a tram," she said.

Another motorist noted that his wife could not find fuel at gas stations in three districts of Volgograd, and he himself had to search for gasoline before work the next morning.

"My wife was coming home from work through the Dzerzhinsky, Central, and Voroshilovsky districts. All local gas stations were out of fuel. The next day I decided to try my luck and refuel in the morning, left early, but it was no use. I only found gasoline at the third gas station near Mamaev Kurgan. And even there, the line was several hundred meters long. I had to ask for time off work. I waited for more than an hour," the driver from "Height 102" said on August 21.

The situation with fuel in the Volgograd region may become even more complicated in the fall due to scheduled repairs at oil refineries, believes the chairman of the interregional public organization "Movement of Motorists" Armen Oganesyan.

"The situation with gasoline in the region is severe, despite claims of full control. When people are waiting in lines for dozens of meters – that is not normal. In the fall, many plants will go for repairs, and it will become even more difficult. Fuel prices will continue to rise, and along with them, the prices of food and services will also increase," the analyst's words were quoted by Volganet.net on August 21.

The authorities of the Volgograd region continue to urge motorists not to create artificial panic and not to stock up on fuel. Drivers, in turn, explained that they try to refuel whenever possible, fearing they will run out of gasoline, the publication noted.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that problems with gasoline availability and queues at gas stations have persisted in the Volgograd region since June. Thus, on July 10, Volgograd drivers expressed their opposition to the proposal to use the system of selling fuel on even and odd days depending on the car's number, stating that it would not eliminate the shortage itself.