Russian air defense units in Crimea facing severe fuel shortages – Atesh

According to Ukrinform, the partisan movement Atesh reported this on Telegram.

The group said that the restrictions affect units tasked with protecting Russian positions from Ukrainian drones.

"They're issuing fuel by the teaspoon. You can only start the vehicle if it's for a combat mission. The rest of the time the equipment just sits idle. If you run out of fuel on the road, you simply abandon the vehicle and run to the nearest trench or village to wait out the drone threat," one of Atesh agents serving in an air defense unit near Chonhar was quoted as saying.

According to Atesh, similar conditions have been observed in several Russian units, including the 1096th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment of the 22nd Army Corps and mobile fire groups operating along the R-280 highway near Chonhar in occupied Crimea, as well as air defense and drone units of Russia's 49th Combined Arms Army in occupied Kherson region.

The partisan movement said Russian crews are often sent out with nearly empty fuel tanks. If they run out of fuel while en route, they reportedly abandon their vehicles and continue on foot.

According to Atesh, such incidents have been documented on the rear-area highway between Henichesk and Skadovsk, where abandoned military vehicles remain exposed until they are detected by Ukrainian drones.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, Russian forces have also been transporting fuel in tanks concealed inside grain trucks in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.