Russia’s fuel crisis is now public evidence: the endless queues at gas stations are a direct reminder of the last years of the Soviet Union.
According to Seva Gunitsky of the University of Toronto, this is dangerous for Putin because the queues make visible the connsequences of the war in Ukraine in a way that the Kremlin cannot censor.
According to Seva Gunitsky of the University of Toronto, this is dangerous for Putin because the queues make visible the connsequences of the war in Ukraine in a way that the Kremlin cannot censor.
Ukraine’s drone strikes have crippled Russia’s largest refineries, and the consequences are visible everywhere
ambulances without diesel, garbage trucks without fuel, farmers without the opportunity to harvest their crops.
Russians are now sharing tips online about stations that still have gasoline.
The Kremlin first tried to keep prices down with massive subsidies 2.5 trillion rubles last year — but the strategy backfired.
Now Russians get both queues and higher prices.
Gunitsky’s summary hits a nerve:
“Voting results can be faked. Queues don’t lie.