Remote‑Work Orders Issued in Siberia as Fuel Crisis Deepens After Ukrainian Strikes

Authorities in Russia’s Novosibirsk region have urged residents to work from home and avoid driving as a worsening fuel crisis grips Siberia, triggered by recent Ukrainian strikes on key oil refineries.

Home to nearly three million people and one of Siberia’s major industrial hubs, Novosibirsk has been hit hard after Ukraine targeted an oil refinery in neighbouring Omsk, knocking out one of Russia’s largest processing facilities. The attack comes amid widespread shortages: more than 90 percent of Russian regions have faced fuel scarcity since June, with some imposing rationing and bans on filling jerry cans.

In a decree published Friday, regional officials recommended employers switch staff to remote work and reduce fuel use. Residents were also advised to limit private vehicle travel within and beyond the region until the current state of high alert is lifted.

Neighbouring regions are taking similar steps. Tomsk has encouraged government departments to cancel business trips and hold meetings online, while Irkutsk has also recommended employees work remotely.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian oil and gas infrastructure throughout the four‑and‑a‑half‑year war, calling the strikes retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians. Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged the shortages but insisted the situation is “not critical,” accusing Kyiv of attempting to sow division inside Russia.

As fuel supplies tighten and restrictions expand across Siberia, the crisis is becoming one of the most disruptive domestic consequences of the ongoing conflict.