Crimea Reintroduces QR-Code Fuel Sales Amid Shortage
Starting August 11, Sevastopol will again require QR codes for fuel purchases due to shortages. Residents must generate a code via the Max messenger, with a limit of 20 liters per code and a seven-day wait for a new one. Authorities are trying to force the ATAN network to sell AI-92 at 100 rubles, but drivers complain about empty pumps. Experts see this as a sign of logistical collapse.
Starting August 11, the annexed city of Sevastopol will again require QR codes for purchasing gasoline and diesel fuel. The decision was announced by Russia-appointed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev amid a persistent shortage of AI-92, AI-95, and diesel. To refuel, residents must generate a code through a bot in the Russian state messenger Max. One code allows up to 20 liters, and a new request can be made no earlier than seven days later. The daily number of codes depends on actual fuel stocks at gas stations. The return to a rationing system signals a deep supply crisis. Authorities are trying to force the ATAN network to sell 'social' AI-92 at 100 rubles per liter, but drivers complain about missing fuel or inflated prices. Locals say cheap gasoline appeared only sporadically, and the day before, stations served only special vehicles and corporate clients. Experts believe that rationing and the tie-in to Max indicate the authorities' inability to cope with a logistical collapse.