Sevastopol introduces QR codes for gas rationing — available only through Russia’s state-backed messaging app Max

Source: Mikhail Razvozhaev

The TES gas station network in occupied Sevastopol has begun rationing fuel sales through QR codes, Russia-appointed Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev announced on the evening of June 6.

Each code allows the holder to buy 20 liters (about 5.3 gallons) of gasoline and is available only through a dedicated bot in the Max messenger. The number of codes issued each day matches the volume of fuel available for open sale that day, Razvozhaev said. Anyone who has already received a code cannot generate a new one for a week. “This measure is designed to ensure equal access to fuel for the maximum number of people, and to avoid speculation, lines, and unnecessary chaos at gas stations,” he said.

Just two hours after that post, Razvozhaev announced that “QR codes for June 7 are gone.”

After 10 p.m. on June 7, a new batch of codes was released — but they were “snapped up literally within a matter of seconds,” Razvozhaev said, even though there were more of them than the day before. “I understand that many people are disappointed. We are working to increase volumes every day,” he wrote.

Crimea is entering its second week of a fuel crisis. It began with Ukrainian military attacks on fuel trucks and other vehicles supplying the occupied Ukrainian peninsula via the R-280 Novorossiya highway (which connects Crimea to Russia’s Rostov region). Since June 4, the peninsula has banned cash sales of gasoline entirely.

At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.

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Sevastopol introduces QR codes for gas rationing — available only through Russia’s state-backed messaging app Max

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Sevastopol introduces QR codes for gas rationing — available only through Russia’s state-backed messaging app Max

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