Abkhazia hit by another fuel crisis as social media blames Russian monopolists
Abkhazia has been hit by another fuel crisis, with social media users blaming the situation on the monopolisation of the fuel market that took place two years ago.
At present, most petrol stations in Abkhazia are either closed or have only diesel available.
Petrol can be found only at stations owned by the Russian state corporation Rosneft and its affiliated Abkhaz company Podorozhnik — but drivers must wait in queues for an hour to fill up.
Media outlets and social media users attribute the current crisis to the effective monopolisation of Abkhazia’s petrol market in 2023. That year, the Russian government granted Rosneft the exclusive right to supply fuel to Abkhazia. Previously, Abkhaz fuel companies purchased petrol directly from Russia; now they are forced to buy it from Podorozhnik at prices close to retail.
This situation has not only driven smaller companies out of the market and pushed up fuel prices, but has also led to periodic shortages across the republic.
“Abkhazia’s fuel crisis is neither a natural disaster nor a seasonal issue. It is the result of reliance on a single supplier, a lack of strategic planning and an absence of political will,” blogger Nodar Shoua argues.
The opposition Telegram channel Respublika predicts that the monopolisation will not end there:
“The same is happening in the tourism sector. Soon it will extend to food supplies, catering, pharmacies and the banking sector. Local businesses will go bankrupt and disappear from the market.”
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