In occupied Abkhazia, August began with an acute fuel shortage and hours-long queues. In Sokhumi and other cities, residents and tourists are waiting for hours to refuel, while prices at privately owned petrol stations have risen sharply, making fuel practically unaffordable for a large part of the population.

The current situation once again demonstrates how heavily Abkhazia’s economy depends on Russia and how severely Russia’s domestic economic and logistical problems affect the occupied region.

Following Russia’s launch of its full-scale war against Ukraine, Western sanctions and Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries and logistics centres have created an acute shortage in the fuel market and caused prices to rise. Under these circumstances, occupied Abkhazia has proved particularly vulnerable, as it is entirely dependent on Russian fuel supplies.

Today, fuel is relatively cheaper at Rosneft petrol stations, resulting in queues stretching for kilometres, with a limit of only 20 litres per vehicle. At private petrol stations, however, fuel is considerably more expensive, with the price reaching 100 roubles, forcing a significant part of the population to wait in queues for hours.

Although the de facto authorities are reporting the arrival of additional fuel supplies, the existing volumes are insufficient to overcome the crisis during the tourist season.

The fuel crisis once again underscores that occupied Abkhazia’s economic dependence on Russia makes the region particularly vulnerable. Challenges affecting the Russian economy, including those arising from the ongoing war against Ukraine, have a direct impact on the daily lives of Abkhazia’s population, reflected in fuel shortages, rising prices and the deterioration of the population’s social conditions.