Putin mouthpiece fears revolution in Russia amid fuel crisis

Vladimir Solovyov, a close ally of namesake Vladimir Putin, has voiced alarm over the potential for popular unrest and even revolution as a severe fuel shortage grips the country. On his radio programme Full Contact, Solovyov, one of the Russian President’s most strident propagandists and a fixture on Russian state television and radio, expressed deep concerns about the crisis triggered by Ukrainian drone and missile strikes on Russian oil refineries.

The attacks have slashed refining capacity by roughly a third, causing petrol and diesel shortages that have spread from occupied Crimea and southern Russia to Siberia and even Moscow. Queues at petrol stations stretch for miles, with some drivers reportedly waiting up to 18 hours. In places like Irkutsk and Ust-Ordynsky, tempers have flared, leading to confrontations and police intervention.

Taxi services have seen a 20% drop in journeys as drivers avoid long trips for fear of running dry. A grey market for fuel has emerged on platforms like Telegram, echoing post-Soviet chaos, while some Russians resort to “fuel tourism” across borders into Kazakhstan or China.

The shortages come at peak summer holiday and harvest season, disrupting logistics, tourism in Black Sea resorts, and everyday life in a nation that is one of the world’s top oil producers. Putin himself was forced to acknowledge a “certain deficit” last month, while insisting it was not critical. State media, including RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, have urged stoicism, invoking Soviet-era hardships: “There’s no petrol now? Well, my generation remembers when food was rationed.”

Solovyov’s remarks stand out for their frankness from a figure known for hawkish pro-war rhetoric. He reportedly warned of elites turning against the regime and the risk of something akin to upheaval, with opponents “gaining momentum” amid economic pain.

His comments reflect growing anxiety in Kremlin circles that the visible breakdown in normality could erode public tolerance for the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year.

Russia’s fuel woes stem directly from Ukraine’s intensified campaign against energy infrastructure. Strikes on major refineries have cut gasoline production by about 25% year-on-year.

Only a handful of regions remain unaffected. Officials are now scrambling to import fuel from Belarus, Kazakhstan, and even India, and considering lower-quality blends to boost supply — extraordinary measures for an energy superpower.

The crisis challenges the Kremlin’s narrative that sanctions and war have left daily life largely untouched. Independent polls show Putin’s approval dipping and fewer Russians believing the country is on the right track. Analysts note “mass fatigue with the war is turning into mass irritation,” though the authoritarian system makes organised protests risky.

Solovyov, long a vocal cheerleader for the “special military operation,” has previously railed against perceived internal traitors. His admission of revolutionary fears on air underscores the depth of the problem. State television continues to project resilience, but images of queues and empty pumps are harder to spin as business as usual.