I haven’t written here forever, though I probably should have.
From Marina
When you live under constant stress, it becomes difficult to write. Sometimes, it feels difficult even to live.
I think every single one of us is stressed for one reason or another. Is it a new reality? I don’t like being stressed, although I know stress can sometimes be helpful. In my case, stress stopped being useful and became overwhelming. I have been deeply worried about my relatives in Russia since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war. I know all their news before them.
Today I spoke with my best friend, Olya, my best friend who owns an apartment in Gelendzhik, Russia, on the Black Sea. She told me they don’t have gasoline in Gelendzhik. Well, I already knew that—I watch every possible news source on YouTube.
My other friend, Marina, who often sends me photos from Russia, just went on vacation to Khakassia by car. Before their trip I warned Marina about the gasoline shortage, but they already had travel plans. The situation in Tomsk seemed normal when they left, so they decided to go. Now they fill up the tank every time they see a gas station with a reasonable price.
Marina does not like watching the news.
Many Russians truly believe there is nothing they can do. And honestly, when you see the level of repression the government imposes on ordinary people, it is easy to understand why.
In another case, Olya’s cousin bought a Japanese car. Just so you know, Russians often like used Japanese cars because they are very reliable. Yes, the steering wheel is on the “wrong” side, but that is not prohibited in Russia. The only challenge is that you have to travel all the way to Vladivostok to pick up the car and then drive it back home. Or you can hire someone. So the car was bought, and the cousin with his wife flew to Vladivostok . It is about 6 hours by plane, or 6 days by train. Now I wish them real luck trying to drive back home now(!). The Far East also has very big shortages. Not having enough gas is not the only dangerous thing.
Years ago my ex-husband had a business by bringing japanese cars from vladivostok to tomsk. I have heard too many crazy stories.
Going back to the current situation, there are quite a few posts on Instagram showing long lines at gas stations. Unfortunately, I cannot repost them here. Well, fortunately youtube has a lot.
As always, the Kremlin seems to have settled on an official explanation for Russia’s fuel crisis. They are blaming not a gasoline shortage caused by Ukrainian strikes on oil-refining infrastructure, but Russians themselves. They claim that people are artificially creating the shortage through panic buying. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, said that one of the causes was “completely unfounded panic buying.”
To address the problem, Russia has begun importing gasoline by sea from India. Really?
Think about that for a moment: first they sell oil to India, often at a discount. Then they buy it back as gasoline.
There is an eternal Russian dilemma: Who is to blame, and what is to be done?
I honestly don’t know. I lie, I know - enterprising and not-so-honest people have already created a black market for gasoline. The officials already reported catching a group of men (I don't remember the region) but instead of those two/three more schemes will be created.
As for now the internet is full of videos from angry upset drivers.
I do not know how long people’s patience will last. I don’t know what people can do. Many are more or less aware of what was happening to protesters.
Now things seem even worse. You will not see this on state television, but independent journalists on YouTube do not hesitate to report what is happening in Penza Oblast.
There is also an article in Novaya Gazeta Europe that I will not repeat here—check it out if you have time.
In short, In the Penza region, security forces are conducting raids and forcibly taking men to military enlistment offices for deployment to the war in Ukraine. Regional authorities have acknowledged that the regional directorate of Rosgvardiya carried out operations to “identify” citizens who had not registered for military service.
The news from different sources keeps talking about another possible mobilization. That is what scares me the most—the possibility of forced mobilization.
Less and less people seem to see any benefit in what Russia officially calls the "special military operation." People do not want to be killed. They do not want to participate. And many no longer trust the government.
Sometimes people ask me why I spend so much time following the news from Russia. Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe my life would be less stressful if I stopped watching YouTube and reading every article I can find.
But my family and my friends are there. When someone you love lives in the middle of uncertainty, it is impossible to simply look away.
I don't know what tomorrow will bring. I don't know if the gasoline shortage will get worse, if another mobilization will happen, or how much more ordinary people will have to endure.
I only know that every phone call begins with, "How are you?" and ends with, "Take care of yourself."
For now, that is all any of us can do.
Resources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBp-Ow8fl6c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIvsv_scPaI
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WE3_Q_tPyaA
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