The Kremlin appears to have settled on an official explanation for Russia’s fuel crisis, blaming it not on a gasoline shortage stemming from Ukraine’s ongoing strikes against the country’s oil refining infrastructure, but Russians themselves, as reported by the Insider:
… Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said one of its [the fuel shortage’s] causes was “completely unfounded panic buying,” comparing it to the mass purchasing of the staple grain buckwheat at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Peskov’s statement came at the start of June, and governors and ministers have been repeating the claim since. Official Russian narratives to explain long queues at gasoline stations are that drivers had started buying gasoline “just in case" and to prevent “speculative demand,” while the same officials say restrictions on fuel purchases were necessary in order to prevent “artificial panic buying.”
The Kremlin appears to have settled on an official explanation for Russia’s fuel crisis, blaming it not on a gasoline shortage stemming from Ukraine’s ongoing strikes against the country’s oil refining infrastructure, but Russians themselves, as reported by the Insider:
Peskov’s statement came at the start of June, and governors and ministers have been repeating the claim since. Official Russian narratives to explain long queues at gasoline stations are that drivers had started buying gasoline “just in case" and to prevent “speculative demand,” while the same officials say restrictions on fuel purchases were necessary in order to prevent “artificial panic buying.”
At the same time, though, the Russian State Duma deputy accuses government of concealing scale of fuel crisis, warns it could cost certain officials their seats in September elections. The deputy doesn’t say whether or not Putin is one of these officials.
At least ordinary Russians appear to maintain a sense of humor as they are posting horse videos on social media.