Russian airports restrict refueling as fuel crisis deepens; UN says May deadliest for Ukrainian civilians

Fuel shortage hits Russian aviation

Several major Russian airports, including Makhachkala, Mineralnye Vody, Krasnodar, Astrakhan, and Nizhny Novgorod, have introduced restrictions on aircraft refueling due to an acute shortage of aviation fuel. Pilots have been notified of fuel limits — only the amount needed for a specific flight is allowed. For instance, in Makhachkala, flights to Dubai are limited to 8 tons of fuel, and flights to Minsk to 3.5 tons.

According to Ukrainian media, at the end of May, Russian airlines received notifications from fuel suppliers that airports in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Ufa, and other cities could no longer fulfill all obligations under existing refueling contracts. Exchange trading in aviation fuel has virtually stopped — no kerosene deals have been concluded on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange since May 4. Wholesale prices have hit a record 113,000 rubles per ton, 52% higher than in early March.

Sources from Kommersant report that on June 1, only three railway tank cars of aviation fuel were sold across the entire country. The problems escalated after a series of Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries — 16 refineries were attacked in May, significantly reducing processing capacity in central Russia. In response, the Russian government banned aviation fuel exports from June 1 to November 30. Earlier, shortages of automobile fuel were reported in several regions, including Siberia, where local authorities imposed gasoline rationing.

UN: May deadliest for civilians in Ukraine

According to the United Nations, May 2026 was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine in the last four years. Over 270 civilians were killed and nearly 1,800 wounded in Russian attacks — almost double the figures from May 2025. The main cause was missile and drone strikes, with most casualties in major cities far from the front line, such as Kyiv and Dnipro. In frontline areas, short-range drones caused the highest number of deaths — over 60 killed and nearly 540 wounded, a record since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Ukraine's General Staff: Russia loses 1,310 soldiers in a day

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine estimates that over the past day, the Russian army lost about 1,310 soldiers. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, total Russian losses have reached approximately 1.38 million personnel, according to Ukrainian estimates. Additionally, one tank, 11 armored fighting vehicles, 88 artillery systems, and over 2,100 drones were reported destroyed. Russia does not publish loss data with the same regularity, and Ukraine does not disclose the detailed methodology behind its estimates.