On September 12, the de-facto Ministry of Economy of the separatist Abkhazia assessed the situation with fuel shortage as difficult but not a crisis.

According to the ministry, the growth of prices for oil products in Abkhazia directly depends on the processes taking place in Russia. "Russia, one of the world's largest oil suppliers, has faced a shortage of fuel on the market. The crisis is most acutely felt in the southern regions of the country. Fuel shortages have been recorded at gas stations in Astrakhan, Saratov, Samara, Ryazan, Rostov, Novosibirsk and Volgograd regions, Kalmykia, Khabarovsk Krai, and in Crimea. AI-95 and AI-92 rose in price by Br10-15. In Tula, there are cases when fuel is sold to legal entities at gas stations, while 92 gasoline is poured by coupons," the Ministry of Economy noted.

According to the de-facto Abkhazian ministry, increased consumption by the Russian Ministry of Defense, planned shutdown of oil refineries, and harvest season, together with logistical problems in the South, have led to the fact that Russian regions and agrarians are facing a sharp rise in prices and shortages, which is exacerbated by a twofold increase in the time of transportation of fuel by rail compared to last year.

"Given the shortage of fuel and lubricants in the Russian market, following consultations with colleagues from the Russian Federation, we regard the situation in Abkhazia as difficult but not a crisis. The information available in the ministry allows us to monitor supplies. The ministry is making every effort to solve the primary task - to prevent the formation of a deficit," the report said.