Fuel crisis sparks political backlash as Russian lawmaker warns of election fallout

A Russian State Duma deputy accuses the government of concealing the scale of a fuel crisis that has knocked out about a third of the country’s refineries, warning senior ministers could lose their seats in September’s elections. She criticized silence from the agriculture minister and deputy prime minister, warned of bread shortages, and described gas stations in Vladimir and Moscow regions cordoned off with no gas as trucks queue and prices rise. The crisis has been worsened by Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries, though officials say the domestic market remains supplied overall, with regional fuel sale restrictions in place.