MOSCOW, July 28. /TASS/. A gasoline shortage has begun in Ukraine due to the introduction of new standards, with fuel prices expected to continue to rise, said Sergey Kuyun, head of the consulting firm A-95.

"Chronicles of the first week of the fuel crisis. <...> Gasoline. Here, it seems there is already a genuine shortage. Zero displays are lighting up at one gas station chain after another. It all stems from the introduction of the E10 standard on July 1. Domestic production is impossible due to the security situation and an absurd tax system, while foreign suppliers are unable to increase E10 output," he wrote on his page on Facebook (banned in Russia; owned by Meta, which is recognized as extremist in Russia).

Switching to E10 offers no benefits to the national economy, leading to price increases, Kuyun noted. The price of A-95 gasoline rose by 4.3 hryvnias over the week to the average of 80.88 hryvnias per liter ($1.80), while the price of diesel increased by more than 9 hryvnias to 88 hryvnias per liter ($1.96), he added.

Diesel fuel problems in Ukraine arose due to disruptions of supplies from abroad and increased demand for the fuel since many agricultural producers unable to use maritime routes switched to transporting their grain by truck, the expert explained.

All Ukrainian gas station chains began selling E10-standard gasoline containing up to 10% bioethanol, which raises the fuel’s procurement cost, on July 1. This new measure is part of the effort to align the Ukrainian fuel market with European standards.