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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
11 September, the Ukrainian capital woke up to explosions – the enemy attacked gas stations in different districts of Kyiv. In particular, a gas station in the Dnipro district and in Obolon were damaged, the latter attacked twice. At Ukrgas, it was reported that Russian jet drones struck two gas stations in Troieschyna and Pohany. Unfortunately, there are 9 injuries and 3 deaths.
Experts predicted this scenario back in the summer – as of 2025-year, Russia had destroyed or damaged about 60% of the base generating capacities of Ukraine's energy system, so now it turned to terrorizing gas stations. There is no military logic here; the only thing the Russian dictator hopes for is to make life unbearable for Ukrainians.
Will such attacks lead to a fuel crisis in Ukraine, what Ukrainians should prepare for, whether it is possible to defend gas stations and what Vladimir Putin is aiming for – specially for 24 Channel experts analyzed this.
Why the Kremlin attacks gas stations
As the director of the consulting group "A-95" Serhiy Kuian explained, attacks on gas stations are a nonsensical decision by the Kremlin. 80% of gas stations continue to operate. They do not bring any effect as the enemy expects.
This is pure terrorism, nothing more, nothing less, which, I think, is caused primarily by this mirrored tactic: we strike at their energy sector, and since there is nothing left in our energy sector, the Russians decide to hit what exists—the gas stations. So I think this is already a mandatory element in this terrorist package,
– he stressed.
Meanwhile, military and air expert Kostyantyn Kryvolap believes one motive could be a shift to such strikes after attacks on warehouses.
The main thing is to create such psychological pressure on our population that it will be very uncomfortable to live in Kyiv, and they are doing everything for that, – Kryvolap emphasized.
Consequences of attacks on gas stations in Kyiv 11 September / Photo by Kyiv DSS
Analyzing the gas-station strikes from a military perspective, he explained that Russians can control drones in FPV mode, i.e., with direct operator intervention.
The enemy’s tactics regarding gas stations were clear long ago, but now it can be stated with certainty – gas stations fell into a zone that is reachable, as the occupiers have practiced this drone-control technique.
Hits on gas stations create considerable tension: attacks continue, alarms go off one after another, and you don’t know whether they will hit the gas station or not. One must choose when to refuel very carefully. This has become a serious problem,
– Kryvolap noted.
There is no “magic pill” to protect gas stations
The history of Russian attacks on gas stations began long before – in July 2026 of the year, Ukraine’s Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that over 6 months, the aggressor country damaged or destroyed more than 300 gas stations in Ukraine.
Exclusively for 24 Channel, military expert Pavlo Narozhny analyzed this topic, who immediately emphasized that the enemy does not distinguish military and civilian targets. According to him, gas stations in frontline towns and settlements suffer the most. Usually, to protect roads there they use anti-drone nets, but this scheme will not work for gas stations.
If we wrap gas stations in nets, that would mean we protect them only from the first FPV,
– the expert previously stressed.
Solving this problem could be done with short-range air defense systems or automated turrets, but that is a very expensive solution. In that case, protecting a single gas station could cost from 5 million hryvnias. However, this does not guarantee protection either – defense assets can be damaged by enemy artillery and Kornets.
Then this mostly affected gas stations in frontline regions, but as Russia’s capabilities grew, so did the range. Elon Musk’s decision to ban Starlink for Russians in early 2026 significantly limited the Russians’ "long arm", but now they have found another way, and frontline zones can now be considered Kyiv and Kyiv region as well.
Ukrainians need to stock up on fuel
Meanwhile, from various information sources there are calls for people to prepare fuel reserves.
The director of the consulting group "A-95" Kuian noted that such messages are appropriate, but not in anticipation of a crisis.
It is about something else – the enemy continues to look for weak spots in Ukrainian logistics. Accordingly, sometimes the market cannot promptly supply fuel: there is an effect of product “disappearance” and price increases.
Therefore, everyone who has the opportunity should have a stock. It’s better to have it so that when an unforeseen situation arises, not to create extra pressure on the retail network, give time to restore supply and avoid a collapse like we, for example, created in 2022 year by grabbing all the fuel, – Kuian said.
As an example, he cited the situation in Russia – recently Russians effectively "grabbed" gasoline. So now a stockpile in Ukraine is important. And it’s not just ordinary Ukrainians, but also legal entities, municipalities, and state companies. Exactly under this scenario the country will calmly weather a possible crisis.
The expert states that despite all drones, DAs and rockets, even near the front line the enemy has not managed to create a fuel crisis, so talking about such a phenomenon in the country is not warranted.
According to Kuian, there is currently no district or region where Ukrainians could face a fuel shortage. If we talk about Kyiv, there are 250 gas stations in the city, and 570 in the region. It is impossible to wipe out such a quantity in just one region or reach a critical threshold.
I am not even mentioning that this gas station, which today (10 September, – 24 Channel) was attacked, will soon resume operations, – the expert noted.
In addition, military expert Pavlo Narozhny also reassured that our country is already working on restoring gas stations. From a technological standpoint, there are all possibilities for this. Although difficulties exist, these issues can be solved.
"Gas stations are underground reservoirs with oil products and pumps, so it is very easy to buy spare parts," he said.
Elimination of the consequences of the Russian attack on gas stations in Kyiv: watch the video
Recall that in August 2026 the government approved a decision to create an branched system of underground storage for strategic fuel reserves. Starting next year, market participants and operators will be obliged to store at least 20% of diesel fuel in underground storage from the minimal state reserves. The project will involve Naftogaz of Ukraine and Ukrtransnafta.
Could the price per liter rise to 100 hryvnias
Against the backdrop of these attacks, many Ukrainians are concerned about fuel prices. The director of the consulting group "A-95" Serhiy Kuian explained that the world is currently in the third wave of aftershocks of the war in the Middle East.
The first was in spring, the second in July, and now there is a strong third wave, because prices for diesel have been at yearly highs for more than a week. Accordingly, we are experiencing unpleasant prices.
Everyone is curious about the price level at 100 hryvnias. This is not yet visible. However, it is unclear what will happen next. It seems the price has plateaued for now, but there is no guarantee it will not go higher,
– the expert emphasized.
Here one should also recall the very strange statement by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright – according to the American official, the rise in diesel prices in the US is tied precisely to Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refining plants.
In Kuian’s view, this is a rather strange statement, since ministers in the United States contradict themselves – simultaneously they report that oil prices will fall by half (to 40 – 50 dollars per barrel) once the war in Iran ends. That is, the situation in the Middle East is a more powerful factor than Ukrainian attacks.
Returning to the Russia-Ukraine war, it becomes clear that the Kremlin does not plan to stop terrorizing civilians. All statements from Moscow about wanting peace are a cover for continuing attacks, including on gas stations. Therefore, we urge Ukrainians to take care of their safety during air alerts – be sure to heed it if the siren sounds while at fueling stations.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Російські атаки на АЗС – не новина: що буде далі з ударами по заправках і цінами на бензин – аналіз 24 Каналу". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.
