Fuel shortage or rising prices: what to expect from Ukrainians
Russian invaders have already destroyed more than 20 oil depots and Ukraine’s largest refinery. The situation on the fuel market is very difficult and requires new approaches.
It is difficult to supply fuel also due to the blocking of seaports. In this way, the occupiers are trying not only to leave our military equipment without fuel, but also to disrupt sowing and cause a humanitarian catastrophe. ICTV Facts journalists were investigating whether there will be a shortage of fuel and what prices await us.
Last year, the Kremenchug Refinery supplied more than a third of the country’s fuel, but it was destroyed a few days ago. In addition, the racists are hitting oil depots – last night the oil depot in the Dnipropetrovsk region, which hit a Russian missile, burned down.
Almost every day they try to hit the infrastructure that processes and stores petroleum products, somewhere it works, somewhere it doesn't work.
Before the full-scale war, two-thirds of the fuel at our gas stations was from Russia and Belarus. Now almost everything is imported from Europe, by rail and fuel trucks – because the ports are blocked.
In the first days of large-scale hostilities, the shortage arose in Europe itself, people there were confused. However, the first shock passed. There are no more empty stelae and kilometer-long queues for gas stations.
Fuel was imported to Transcarpathia from Europe because it was closer, but they also had to reorient themselves: Hungary refused to sell fuel, allegedly for fear of shortages.
We now import mostly from Lithuania. Delivery is expensive, because you have to pay for all highways, travel.
Fuel prices have also risen in Europe, with about a quarter of the EU’s oil coming from Russia. But because of the aggression of the racists, European companies are boycotting their supplies.
Russian tankers are not allowed into ports and are not even allowed to refuel. While Russian oil is being replaced, the United States has decided to sell its reserves to stabilize prices.
They are releasing their reserves in order to stop market speculation, in order to stop the panic that now exists.
For the first time in history, American diesel will soon be available at our gas stations. “These volumes, which will come from the United States, fully cover the needs of both crops and consumers,” says Zerkal.
Azerbaijan has promised to supply Ukraine with fuel for sowing. However, it is currently difficult to bring him from there.
Azerbaijan has resources at sea. You need to find a port where you can transfer this fuel. You need to find a rolling stock to get to the border. You need to find a transition that will transfer fuel from one car to another. Because we have different paths with the European Union.
Due to complicated logistics, the already expensive fuel arrives in Ukraine almost in gold. The government has already abolished excise duties and reduced VAT from 20 to 7%. Due to this, gasoline fell by 10 hryvnias and diesel by 8 hryvnias.
The government took control of gas station prices. However, this is why companies, especially small ones, for which purchases are more expensive, are already operating at a loss.
The price is UAH 38.70, and state regulation forces us to sell for UAH 37.43. It is clear that because of this the company can not operate.
Some experts say that price controls should be abolished to avoid fuel shortages. At least for the sowing period. To profitably import was all. After all, every fuel truck is now worth its weight in gold. However, the state is not going to do that yet – it is afraid of a price shock.
