Fuel Crisis at Filling Stations in Nizhny Novgorod Region — a severe shortage of motor fuel that gripped the region in July 2026, accompanied by multi-hour queues at filling stations, administrative rationing of petrol sales, and emergency measures by the regional government.
Course of Events
In early July 2026, residents of Nizhny Novgorod were confronted with a fuel shortage: petrol was unavailable at a number of stations, while at others queues stretched for several hours.[2] At the same time, reports emerged that vehicles belonging to government employees were being fuelled outside the general queue, including at stations that had been declared empty.[2]
On 9 July 2026, filling stations belonging to the Gazpromneft, Lukoil, and Tatneft networks in Nizhny Novgorod Region introduced a fuelling system based on the first digit of a vehicle's licence plate: vehicles whose plate began with an even digit (including 0) could be served only on even-numbered dates, while those beginning with an odd digit could only be served on odd-numbered dates. The restrictions did not apply to vehicles in transit from other regions, or to police, ambulance, municipal utility, and food and essential-goods delivery vehicles. The decision to introduce the measure was taken at an emergency task-force meeting convened by Governor Gleb Nikitin.[2]
Monitoring of queues and fuel availability at 60 of the city's main filling stations was organised by volunteers, who also informed drivers of the new fuelling procedures.[2] At the same time, a unified hotline was set up on number 122 (extension 6): operators were available daily from 9:00 to 20:00 to provide information on fuelling conditions at Nizhny Novgorod stations.[1]
Digital Response Tools
On 14 July 2026, regional officials were advised to reduce the use of government vehicles.[1] On 15 July 2026, an interactive map of fuel availability at filling stations was launched in Nizhny Novgorod Region, accessible via the regional government website, the Karta Zhitelya ("Resident's Card") portal, and through a chatbot in MAX. The map allowed users not only to check the availability of a specific fuel type, but also to plot a route to the nearest operational station. The project was developed and launched by Alfa-Bank with support from the regional government.[1]
Nizhny Novgorod Region became the first region in Russia where data on fuel availability and queues was verified by volunteers, whose assessments were given priority status within the service. For all other stations, information was compiled on the basis of anonymised transaction data. At the time of the map's launch, volunteers were monitoring more than 60 filling stations.[1] The independent service BenzEst.ru recorded 158 filling stations within the city limits during the crisis period, of which fuel availability in the preceding hours had been confirmed by drivers at only 52.[3]
Aftermath
Rising fuel prices during the crisis prompted an administrative response: the Nizhny Novgorod branch of the Federal Antimonopoly Service issued a warning to a fuel retailer in connection with the price increase.[1] Regional authorities also warned of possible food price increases due to rising fuel costs.[1] The odd-even system was ultimately introduced at only three filling station chains operating in the Region.[1]
Sources
- NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — A map showing fuel availability at filling stations has been launched in Nizhny Novgorod Region — Nizhny Novgorod News (archive)
- Govorit Nizhniy — Nizhny Novgorod filling stations switch to fueling on even and odd dates
- benzest.ru — Petrol in Nizhny Novgorod today — map of filling stations with current availability — Fuel situation
- card-oil.ru — Nearest filling station in Nizhny Novgorod: Rosneft, Lukoil, Gazpromneft, Gazprom, Tatneft, gas (methane, propane) on the map, near me
- po-nn.ru — Filling Stations in Nizhny Novgorod — PO'NIZHNEMU — information and entertainment business portal of Nizhny Novgorod (archive)
- businessesforsale.ru — Buy a filling station in Nizhny Novgorod (archive)