Hard to stay in the loop these days …

Russia prepares mass gasoline imports from India to cover 25% production plunge, and eyes diesel export ban

Russians are searching ‘how to siphon gas’ ten times more often than three months ago

In late March, Russians were searching Yandex for instructions on “how to siphon gas” roughly 4,000 times a week. Over the past week, that figure reached nearly 44,000.

Google data shows that Russian interest in the query stood at 8 to 10 points in March. Last week it climbed to 43 points, and in the current week — only just begun — interest has already hit 100 points, the maximum possible score.

Amid this, Russians have been posting on social media about strangers draining gas from their cars or from vehicles belonging to people they know. Some of these incidents have been caught on video.

A fuel crisis has begun in Russian regions following Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries and fuel depots.

Russia doesn’t seem to be heading for a fuel crisis, it’s already there …

Reuters reports that Russia is set to import fuel by sea in June as it seeks to manage a gasoline shortage following extensive drone attacks on ‌its refineries,

In a rare move for one of the world’s largest exporters of oil and refined products, Russia is expected to receive a cargo of gasoline via one of ​its western ports in June … It will be shipped from Asia, ​one source said, without providing details on volumes or suppliers.

And Russia’s state railway monopoly announced Wednesday [June 17] the creation of a specialized task force to manage fuel transportation across the country, according to the Moscow Times:

An increasing number of regions implement rationing measures amid a coordinated Ukrainian drone campaign against oil refineries and supply lines … In a statement, Russian Railways said the new task force will focus on maintaining steady deliveries of petroleum products while navigating a volatile “operational environment” — a standard euphemism used by officials to refer to the fallout from Ukrainian attacks.