Since the start of the full-scale war, Russian forces have attacked more than 300 gas stations in Ukraine. However, these strikes failed to cause a fuel shortage or trigger price spikes, as the modern engineering design of gas stations and the underground placement of tanks make them highly resistant to damage. This was reported by Dengi.ua, citing a commentary by Serhiy Kuyun, Director of the A-95 Consulting Group.
The Scale of Attacks on the Retail Chain: Geography and Threats
According to estimates by the specialized A-95 Consulting Group, more than 300 gas stations have been targeted since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Although the lion’s share of attacks has traditionally been concentrated in frontline areas, enemy drones and missiles have recently been increasingly targeting fuel infrastructure deep in the rear. As Serhiy Kuyun notes, while these attacks pose a critical threat to the lives of staff and customers, they have virtually no impact on the overall stability of the fuel market:
- they have no systemic impact on the balance of supplies and warehouse inventories;
- the risk of fuel shortages at gas stations is eliminated thanks to an extensive logistics network;
- the attacks have no effect whatsoever on retail prices at the pumps.
Underground Protection: Why Gas Stations Quickly Resume Operations
The vast majority of damaged gas stations resume operations promptly. The reason for the high resilience of these facilities lies in the specifics of their modern engineering design:
- key components, utilities, and multi-metric-ton fuel storage tanks are buried underground;
- the blast wave and debris damage the above-ground structures (pumps, canopies, operator stations, and stores), but the fuel itself in the underground tanks remains intact;
- repairs are limited to replacing above-ground equipment and restoring power, which takes very little time.
As a prime example, the expert cited a recent attack on a UPG station near the Yahodyn checkpoint on the border with Poland. Despite the physical destruction of the above-ground structures, the station is already being actively restored, and transportation supply chains in the border zone have not been disrupted.
Engineering Solutions Against UAV Attacks
The main tactical challenge for retailers remains countering precision strikes by attack drones. To minimize damage to above-ground equipment and fuel dispensers, network operators are now actively implementing passive protection measures - specifically, installing special anti-drone nets and screens that shield equipment from FPV kamikaze drones and small UAVs.
