Motorists from Sochi and Gelendzhik spoke about the difficult situation with gasoline.

In Gelendzhik, drivers have to wait in line at gas stations for six to eight hours, while in Sochi, the price of certain brands of gasoline reaches 200 rubles per liter, local motorists reported.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", long lines have formed again at gas stations in southern Russia. Restrictions on sales and fuel shortages are forcing motorists in Volgograd and Astrakhan regions to stand in line, while rising fuel and other goods prices are forcing families to save.

Today, August 23, as of 09:30, 23 gas stations were operating in Anapa, with AI-95 gasoline available at only 14 of them. AI-92 was sold at 14 stations, AI-100 was absent, and diesel fuel was available at all operating gas stations, according to a message published on the Telegram channel of the Anapa administration.

At nine gas stations, by the owners' decision, fuel is dispensed by fuel cards and for special transport. At 16 stations, restrictions on fuel volume have been introduced: at some of them, AI-92 and AI-95 are dispensed no more than 40 liters. The administration urged drivers not to buy gasoline in advance to avoid increasing queues.

Taxi driver Evgeny, who works between Anapa, Sochi, and Krasnodar, said that drivers have to spend two to four hours in line at gas stations. According to him, on the route between Anapa and Krasnodar, which is about 180 kilometers long, gasoline is available at only three out of approximately 19 stations, and the queues stretch two to three kilometers. At private gas stations, AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline is sold for more than 100 rubles per liter, so there were no queues there, Evgeny told BFM.ru on August 21.

Due to the shortage, drivers are trying to save fuel during trips. "We don't overtake unnecessarily. We try not to press the gas. Accelerations are smooth. In general, we save fuel," Evgeny said. According to him, apps with data on gasoline availability do not always reflect the real situation at specific gas stations.

Gelendzhik resident Ivan noted that at network gas stations, where relatively normal prices were maintained, drivers had to wait six to eight hours to refuel. At some stations, AI-95 gasoline costs up to 100 rubles per liter. In his assessment, the situation on the route towards Anapa is even more complicated. "If you go towards Anapa, Novorossiysk, the Crimean Bridge, it's even worse than in Gelendzhik," Ivan told BFM.ru.

In Sochi, queues at network gas stations last ten hours, while at private ones, prices are two to three times higher, said real estate specialist in Sochi Murat Sultanov.

"If we talk about gasoline, it's 150 – 200 rubles, diesel 100 – 120 rubles," he told BFM.ru.

Sultanov noted that the fuel shortage complicated the exit from Sochi. Some motorists are afraid to head towards Krasnodar through Dzhubga due to the risk of running out of gasoline or spending many hours in line. According to him, against this background, there has been a shortage of tickets for trains and planes.

Recall that on August 19, Sochi residents told the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" about kilometer-long queues at gas stations and cases of reselling gasoline for 200 rubles per liter. On August 21, gasoline ran out at gas stations in Gelendzhik and Tuapse, where drivers continued to wait in line for new fuel supplies.