Frustrated Moscow drivers face long queues to refill as fuel shortages return

MOSCOW, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Disgruntled motorists in Moscow have sat for hours in long gasoline station queues this week to fill their cars with limited volumes of fuel, in a second wave of a crisis due to high seasonal demand and Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries.

Fuel stations in Moscow have reimposed limits on gasoline purchases due to the fuel shortages, according to Reuters witnesses and fuel suppliers.

Shortages began to gather pace in May and had spread to most Russian regions by July, but fuel stations in Moscow were able to ease an earlier wave of restrictions in June.

Ukraine has targeted Russian oil refineries in an effort to undermine Moscow's war effort and reduce energy revenues.

GASOLINE STATION QUEUES AS LONG AS A KILOMETRE

Reuters witnesses also saw long queues, some of them stretching out for up to a kilometre (0.6 mile), at some filling stations in Moscow and the surrounding region.

Many stations were also closed or offered only diesel.

"We have been to five petrol stations already and there was no fuel. Last week, fuel was available. And now, there is no fuel again," a Moscow resident, German, who did not reveal his full name, told Reuters.

A taxi driver, Marat, also complained about the situation.

"Everything is very bad. To find fuel, you probably need to drive across half of Moscow. And even in this case, you will not find it. You will have to wait for two or three hours in a queue."

Some other motorists downplayed the shortages.

"I think everything will get back to normal in a week or two," a Moscow resident, Artur, said.

To boost domestic supplies, Russian authorities have banned exports of gasoline and diesel, eased fuel quality requirements and begun importing petroleum products.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak confirmed on Wednesday that Russia, typically a net exporter of fuel and crude oil, had started importing fuel.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by David Holmes)