Public transport operators in occupied Sevastopol report receiving only a quarter of the fuel they need

Public transport companies in Sevastopol in temporarily occupied Crimea are receiving only a quarter of the fuel they actually need, resulting in some bus services being cancelled.

Source: Krym.Realii (Crimea.Realities), a Radio Liberty project covering life on the occupied peninsula

Quote from Krym.Realii: "In Sevastopol, for several days now passengers have been fighting to get on the public transport that is still running."

Details: According to the pro-Russian portal Forpost, trolleybuses are running only intermittently due to power outages, services on some bus routes have been cancelled, and the intervals between services have increased.

Viktor Rykov, Head of the Russian Union of Transport Companies of Sevastopol, said transport companies are currently being allocated only a quarter of the fuel they actually need.

Some are using their own modest reserves with partial assistance from the Russian occupation authorities in the city, although the cost of fuel has long since exceeded the figures stipulated in their contracts.

The contracts assume a price of RUB 76 (US$0.96) per litre of fuel when it now costs RUB 145 (US$1.84) per litre.

"The fuel shortages have reduced not only urban transport but also intercity transport by 80%," Rykov said.

Vehicles operated by local state-run transport company Sevelectroavtotrans which run on natural gas do not need to queue, but vehicles operated by private companies have to wait at filling stations alongside taxis and cars.

The Russian-appointed head of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, had previously said that government and public transport vehicles would be filled up at petrol stations. He also said public transport would continue to run while air-raid warnings are in place, with buses and trolleybuses making brief stops to allow passengers wishing to take shelter to do so.

Razvozhayev stressed that ferries would continue not to operate during air-raid alerts, as the decision to close the roadstead is taken by the Black Sea Fleet, but alternative routes would be arranged for passengers.

Background:

• The Russian occupying authorities have declared a regional state of emergency in Crimea and Sevastopol.
• Petrol stations in temporarily occupied Crimea, including those belonging to major networks, have begun closing en masse.
• The authorities in temporarily occupied Crimea have said they do not know when the free sale of petrol and diesel will resume on the peninsula, since fuel supplies are being "regulated" by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
• Since the beginning of 2026, Ukraine has carried out more than 20 strikes on Russia's oil infrastructure, including oil

Your support on Patreon helps us keep the news free and accessible.