Double shortage in the Lipetsk Region: Igor Artamonov shifts blame for the fuel crisis onto “panicking” motorists

Lipetsk Region Governor Igor Artamonov’s statement prompted residents to start stocking up on buckwheat.

In a discussion about the disappearance of gasoline at gas stations, Artamonov accused local residents of "increasing the load on the stations" by stocking up on fuel.

"In other words, let’s try to avoid a buckwheat panic like we saw in 2020 and 2022," the governor noted. 

However, his words had the opposite effect. Sources report that residents interpreted the governor’s mention of buckwheat as particularly significant and rushed to the stores to buy the product.

As for gasoline, it never appeared in Yelets, for example. Only one private gas station on Gagarin Street has put it on sale, resulting in a multi-kilometer line of cars. This station only has 92-octane gasoline, and it’s sold for 99 rubles. Other stations, including Rosneft’s, are out of gasoline.