Due to the recent fuel shortage in the Russian Federation, diluted gasoline has begun to be sold, announced the head of the Russian Union of Auto Services, Yuri Valiko, in an interview for the federal news agency NSN, quoted by IPN.

“Russian gasoline producers have begun to reduce quality due to their inability to raise prices. There is a connection between these rumors and what actually happened. Many have started to increase the octane number by adding additives, due to the economic situation, against the backdrop of shortages in certain regions”, mentioned Iuri Valiko.

According to the head of the Russian Union of Auto Services, gasoline fraud could lead to vehicle malfunctions, which are already being reported by owners of Chinese Geely cars. Yuri Valiko added that similar situations occurred in Russia in the early 2000s and 2010s, at certain gas stations and warned that there is a chance the situation could repeat itself.

Last month, in at least 10 regions of Russia, including Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov, Ryazan and the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula, a gasoline shortage was reported, which led to the forced suspension of some independent gas stations.

The gasoline deficit comes after the Ukrainian military recently launched a series of drone and missile attacks on Russian refineries, jeopardizing their operations. At the same time, Kiev has urged Western countries to impose additional sanctions on the Russian energy system, arguing that reducing Russian oil revenues would weaken Moscow’s ability to finance the war.