Nicolas Tonev (special envoy to kyiv), edited by Wassila Belhacine
modified to
09:18, March 27, 2022
The Russian army is also hitting Ukraine’s fuel reserves. Before the war, 80% of petroleum products consumed in Ukraine came from Belarus and Russia. A figure now reported at 0%. A difficult situation for Ukraine, which has very few alternatives for obtaining gasoline.
Will Ukraine soon run out of fuel? As the Russian army shifts military strategy to focus on the east, new airstrikes have targeted fuel reserves in several major Ukrainian cities.
Closed service stations
It is a kind of vice which closes on the essences. Indeed, before the war, 80% of petroleum products consumed in Ukraine came from Belarus and Russia. Currently, this figure stands at 0%. From now on, no more deliveries can arrive by sea, because the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov are in the hands of Vladimir Putin’s sailors.
There are therefore only land routes left to supply the country from Europe, which considerably reduces the possibilities of rapid delivery in large quantities. In kyiv, the difficulties have already been felt for two or three days. Some service stations so far supplied have closed.
Some no longer offer the most common gasoline, 95, and others sell it at outrageous prices for the Kievan motorist up to 49 hryvnia per liter, or 1.50 euros. Expensive sums in comparison with local salaries. Concern is therefore very strong for the coming weeks in Ukraine regarding this problem of fuel drying up because of the war and the Russian tactics of destroying reserves.