Russia Is Getting So Starved For Fuel That It May Start Putting Car Gas Into Planes

A combination of intense military need, skyrocketing costs due to the war in Iran, and Ukrainian strikes on refineries has led to critical fuel supply issues in Russia. The situation has gotten so dire that the country is having trouble finding enough jet fuel for its civilian air fleet. In what can only be considered an act of desperation, Russia may soon start putting gasoline designed for cars into light aircraft. That would be a significant danger to the plane’s engine, and therefore the plane, and anybody who happens to be below the plane.

Aviation fuel is higher octane than automotive gasoline, with the most common avgas measuring 100 octane. High octane gas helps prevent engine knocking, the sound you hear when fuel is combusting at the wrong times and places inside your engine. In the worst-case scenario, this detonation can lead to an explosion, and using lower octane increases this risk considerably. Typically, gas meant for cars has a much lower octane rating than 100. Aviation fuel also has different requirements as it relates to the conditions it’s used in, such as low temperatures and high altitudes. 

The aviation authorities are at least testing this idea first before deploying it widely, as the Russian outlet Kommersant reports. Part of the test involves swapping out older Russian engines for newer Chinese ones, testing those with the lower-octane fuel. Hopefully, these tests make it clear that this switch to automotive fuel is a bad idea.

This isn’t the only emergency maneuver Russia is taking to get its fuel shortages under control. The country has already reduced quality standards for car gasoline just to keep the pumps filled. Forcing their own people to put bad gas in their cars wasn’t enough, though, as Russia may soon ban exports of diesel and jet fuel altogether, just to keep its own stocks high. Sounds like a thriving economy! That war of choice is going great.

Ukraine’s drones are getting more sophisticated as the war rages on, with better engines and communications finally enabling mid-range strikes. That’s allowing the besieged nation to hammer Russia’s supply lines and energy infrastructure, which puts even more strain on oil reserves. Just last Thursday, Ukraine hit an oil refinery near Moscow itself.

Compounding the effects of warfare, sanctions have made it hard for Russia to get the actual parts it needs to keep its planes flying in the first place. That’s one way to solve your fuel problems. All in all, dark times for the Russian civilian aviation industry. Maybe, and just hear me out here, attacking Ukraine was and is a bad idea, and Russia should stop doing it.