Authorities in Russia’s Novosibirsk region urged residents to work remotely and limit car travel, amid a worsening fuel crisis caused by Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries.The region, with a population of nearly three million people, is one of the most populous regions in Siberia and a major economic and manufacturing centre. The announcement comes after Ukraine struck an oil refinery in the neighboring Omsk region earlier this week, destroying one of Russia’s largest oil processing facilities by capacity.More than 90% of Russian regions have experienced fuel shortages since June, and some have imposed rationing at petrol stations and bans on filling jerrycans, according to local media reports and officials.In a decree dated Wednesday and published by Russian media on Friday, the Novosibirsk government recommended employers “switch employees to remote work and reduce fuel consumption.” Ukraine has targeted Russian oil infrastructure throughout the four-and-a-half-year war, in strikes it says are a response to attacks on Ukrainian civilians.(AFP)
