Ukrainian fuel retailers react to Russian invasion
Several Ucranian oil companies have announced their actions in response to the attack by the military forces of the neighboring country.
Last Thursday, the military tension between Ukraine and Russia reached a point of no return when the advance of Russian military forces on Ukrainian soil was confirmed. Within days of the first attack by the Russian Federation's army, the Ukrainian government and its companies have taken action to respond to the aggression. President Volodymyr Zelensky decided to break diplomatic relations with Russia and installed martial law in the nation in the face of the threat from the neighboring country.
The event had a superlative impact on the economic sphere, pushing the price of oil above $100 for the first time in seven years. At the same time, Ukrainian fuel companies took action in the midst of the crisis with several of them announcing fuel caps to support military and infrastructure operations.
Service station chains in Ukraine respond to Russian attack
WOG reported a limitation of up to 20 liters per car to make sure they could support the national army. The company stated that its main goal now is “to provide the possibility of priority refueling of special services and critical infrastructure services".
“In addition, special services and critical infrastructure services will be refueled on an emergency basis. Thank you for your understanding. The most important thing is to believe in our army and support it,” the company published on a social media post.
A similar decision was made by OKKO by limiting the quantity to 20 liters. "In order to ensure the priority of refueling special services and critical infrastructure services, our company has decided to limit the amount of refueling - up to 20 liters. Please also be understanding that we will refuel the vehicles of the above-mentioned services out of turn. Thank you for your understanding," posted as well on social media.
Regarding KLO petrol stations, according to a report by local news site Nefterynok the chain has disabled its loyalty system in order to optimize operations. As the company stated in a press release, this decision was taken to minimize the risk of technical failures.
On the other hand, BRSM-Naphtha supermarkets has confirmed it will continue to serve 24/7 despite the critical situation. "Friends, today [24 February] there are long queues for refueling! We try to work stably and provide the highest quality service! We apologize for the inconvenience that may arise during this difficult time. We do our best to regularly supply our supermarkets with filling stations. The needs of Ukrainians are important to us. Our mission is to provide everyone with food and fuel,” the company stated.
The state of the energy network in Ukraine
As for energy supply, the local media EnergoBusiness is constantly monitoring the situation of the companies of the Naftogaz group in the midst of the attack. In its most recent report it was detailed that, due to the risks associated with the combat, gas losses reached around one million cubic meters per day. Once the situation stabilizes, the company intends to resume the operation of these facilities.
On the other hand, two gas stations of the 21 gas stations owned by U.GO, a subsidiary of Naftogaz, are currently suspended due to the threat of shelling. Personnel left the station grounds for safety and no one was injured.
Previous reports of the media stated that Ukrhydroenergo operates on a full-time basis. Meanwhile, cyber attacks have been carried out on the energy infrastructure but all of them have been repulsed.
In addition, the National Commission for Regulation of Economic Competition reassures that the energy system and energy markets are operating normally while the day-ahead market platform and the intraday e/e market also work normally, as informed by the Market Operator. Lastly, all NPPs are under protection and there are no violations of the boundaries and conditions of operational safety.
