Requirements for travel to Russia and Mongolia
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Translated into English.

ES Esantirulo Veteran ·
Warning for those traveling to Russia soon. Currently, in the central regions and Moscow, gas stations are not selling more than 20 liters per vehicle, and jerry cans are prohibited.

A friend from Saint Petersburg alerted me to this during a conversation. (His family lives in Vladimir)

They must have told you that the disruption varies by district and gas station. It’s been in the press, too. I just got back from Russia—I took the Pskov-Riga bus yesterday. In the Pskov and Smolensk regions, where I was this time, nothing unusual. A friend from SPb drives the SPb-Kazan route occasionally.

For several months, NATO has been using repeated swarms of drones flying at very low altitudes, relying on the Starlink satellite network rather than 4G antennas. As a result, a major refinery in Tatarstan sustained damage, which is now affecting Tatneft and its resellers. The paradox is that there are large stocks of refined fuel in the northern Siberian basin (Surgut, Nefteyugansk) and another owned by Gazprom, but these are far from Tatarstan and the central Russian basin. Shifting supplies by rail and road takes time while the refinery section in Tatarstan is being repaired.

In the south—Rostov, Kuban, Crimea—there have been drone strikes targeting fuel tankers delivering to gas stations. The issue was resolved with a powerful jamming system that blocks Starlink signals along road perimeters. This is now being extended to protect refineries, along with other measures like anti-drone patrols along major routes.

These disruptions may not last, as Russia has recently been targeting warehouses and logistics platforms of Ukrposhta, the Ukrainian postal service. Drones manufactured by the EU and the U.S. are shipped in postal freight, often in separate parts for larger models. The freight is mixed: mail, commercial and industrial goods, and military cargo. Until now, Russia hadn’t struck these warehouses, but recently they’ve destroyed a few, including a large one in Kharkiv. There was also a strike on a hydroelectric plant and the bridge above it on the Dnieper. Lawmakers have started complaining in the Duma, demanding the destruction of all bridges over the Dnieper, postal depots, the annihilation of the railway network by targeting locomotive warehouses and sorting centers, and other "delights."

As for drone swarms using 4G antennas, that’s been happening since 2023—nothing new. The Pskov region is often affected because these drones are launched from the Baltic states by NATO. That’s why 4G is occasionally shut down when electronic jamming is activated. The day before yesterday, I received two SMS messages on my Megafon SIM, which are sent in such cases to warn about 4G and SMS disruptions. The first SMS announced that drones were flying over the area and to expect internet outages. The second mentioned that service had resumed and that if you find debris (in a field, forest, etc.), you should call 112. These SMS are sent by the Ministry of Emergency Situations (RSCHS/РСЧС).



By the way, last fall, I experienced very limited 4G (only basic practical apps) in Vladimir. It’s far from the border, but Vladimir hosts a major missile command center.
PE Perju Globetrotter ·
NATO... sending drones into Russia??? 😄
Qui boit l'eau d'une terre étrangère doit en suivre les coutumes (proverbe Mongol)
TI Tiger3 Veteran ·
Hey everyone, different strokes for different folks!

Regarding Mongolia, the Tashanta border is passable, but you’ll need a special permit to visit Ulangoom.

The quarantine in the area will be reassessed on August 1st.
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CH Chalembert Regular ·
Hi, this is Esantirulo. For him, Ukraine obviously doesn’t have the means to manufacture its own drones—they’re not on the level of Putin’s exceptional Russia. And their drones can’t reach St. Petersburg; it’s way too far, so they must be launched from the Baltic countries. If I follow his logic, I conclude that the drones that reached the southern Urals—which are farther from Ukraine than St. Petersburg—must have been launched from Kazakhstan, which would then be part of NATO? His practical tips are always very precise and useful for those wanting to visit Russia and Belarus, but his political analyses are a bit more, how should I put it...
ES Esantirulo Veteran ·
NATO... sending drones into Russia??? 😄

You know very well that NATO is waging a war against Russia through the Ukrainian soldier. It’s even official in their statements. For now, the only difference is that, unlike Iran—which destroyed American military sites (radar bases, planes, command centers) in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Syria, i.e., in the proxy countries used by the U.S.—Russia hasn’t yet targeted sites in Poland, Germany, Romania, or France. However, and precisely because of the Iranian precedent, some lawmakers are openly demanding this. And I’ll spare you the opinions of Russians who say that since committing genocide and razing Gaza and currently southern Lebanon is so great, they should do the same in western Ukraine, i.e., Bandera’s Galicia.
AT Attila Globetrotter ·
Why not go live in the country whose dictator has the name of a Canadian junk food specialty (that really makes you want to...) instead of living in the hell of democratic Europe?😇
La rue comme gagne-pain : concours de photos amical de septembre 2026 Rubrique Jeux Voyages C'est le moment de poster vos meilleurs clichés !
TI Tiger3 Veteran ·
There is no genocide in Gaza!! These are political statements, just like your allegations about NATO. If that were the case, we would unfortunately be at war. And neither we, nor the Russian people—who are our cultural brothers (more so than Americans)—want that. But let's stop the fake news and politics here.
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CH Chalembert Regular ·
Hey, And is it NATO that’s responsible for the war in Ukraine? I thought—but I’m probably being manipulated by the media serving corrupt Western governments—that it was Putin’s Russia that attacked Ukraine to "save" it from its Nazi leaders.
CH Chalembert Regular ·
Hey Attila,

Why not go live in the country whose dictator has the name of a Canadian junk food specialty

For that, Esantirulo would need two things: - courage - to believe in what he says

And I’d ask you not to compare the wonders of Canadian gastronomy with autocrats ;)
TI Tiger3 Veteran ·
Hi everyone, Confluence of the Katun and Koksa rivers in the Russian Altai:

After spending a short stay in one of the Russian detention rooms back in 2016 and going through a "questioning" session in a not-so-funny office, I decided to take the initiative this time to get permission to visit Ust-Koksa (a village not far from the Kazakhstan border). The FSB got back to me saying no administrative authorization is needed anymore!!
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PO Pourrez ·
Good evening everyone, after checking, this is fake news! My friend who lives near Vladimir says there are no supply issues or rationing.

My friend arrived in Vladimir from Saint Petersburg and told me you had to wait at stations in the Moscow regions, as this photo shows. He expected it to be more complicated.

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PA Parigino Veteran ·
Just wait a little longer and everything will get better:

To make up for the major deficit caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on its refining infrastructure, Russia is preparing to launch massive gasoline imports from India. The news was reported this Wednesday, June 24, by the Moscow Times.

😂😂😂 What a fall from grace for the great power...
PO Pourrez ·
Good evening everyone, Just to confirm, this is fake news! My friend living near Vladimir says there are no supply issues or rationing.

My friend arrived in Vladimir from Saint Petersburg and told me there were lines at gas stations in the Moscow region, as this photo shows. He expected it to be more complicated.

A39L-Hpl3cNcAvFPqfPdU0IJbOO8Q1zkfP7RzHHWaYXhxx3pKAU_OJuuuoW9402k08LggOHoeZJrsGNo5QsJ--fB.jpg (1280×962)

My friend returned to Saint Petersburg from Vladimir.

He says the situation at gas stations has worsened. Expect to wait about an hour at stations on average. Generally, only diesel and SP92 are available.

SP95, 98, and 100 have practically disappeared from cities.
ES Esantirulo Veteran ·
My friend returned to Saint Petersburg from Vladimir.

He tells me the situation at the stations has worsened. Expect an average wait of one hour at the stations. Generally, only diesel and SP92 are available.

For SP95, 98, and 100, they’ve practically disappeared from cities.

Don’t push your luck in the internet age. Price and availability comparison sites are a mess by region and at the federal level. For example, the map https://fuelprice.ru/map lets you check prices and availability. You select the type of fuel to display using the menu in the top right (dropdown list Аи 92/95/etc, ДТ for diesel, and others). There are varying restrictions depending on the location, with quotas between 20 liters and 50 liters.
PO Pourrez ·
I didn’t understand your reply, Esantirulo ???

Anyway, my message comes from a friend who lives in Saint Petersburg and who I’ve been in touch with for a long time via VK.
LE Lescs Regular ·
Friends who just completed the Astrakhan / Georgia route told me there’s a gasoline shortage along the way. Diesel is still available. I trust the real situation observed by people over the info spread online. 😉
CS

www.lescs.fr
TI Tiger3 Veteran ·
Hi Christian, Thanks for this info. As "Perju the 😎" mentioned (this is for you, big smiles), it’s actually one of my concerns. I think I’ll have enough range to reach Astrakhan (extra tank + 50 liters), but that’s not where my problem will arise—it’s getting to Mongolia, and that’s about 1,000 kilometers. I’m still going, so stay tuned. Thanks again
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TI Tiger3 Veteran ·
hello Jean Pierre, thanks for your advice about the Neiman. I did order the part, but it won’t arrive until 8 days after I leave🤪. After having everything redone (new complete engine, injectors, revised gearbox, new water and oil pumps, etc.) on my 120, it’d be a real shame! I’m keeping my fingers crossed smiles. I didn’t reply on Atilla’s thread so I wouldn’t "clutter his thread"
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PE Perju Globetrotter ·
Hello Thierry I don’t wanna jinx it for you, but this part systematically fails on all 120/125 models (around 180,000–200,000 km)... and even on the 100s, though less often. So try to grab a spare from a Toyota dealership along your route. There’s one in Barnaul, Russia, before Mongolia.
Qui boit l'eau d'une terre étrangère doit en suivre les coutumes (proverbe Mongol)
TI Tiger3 Veteran ·
The reports I'm getting from bikers returning from Mongolia are worrying. I might explore more of my neighboring countries in the 'stans instead.
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PE Perju Globetrotter ·
The reports about crossing Russia are worrying, I guess. Still, all the regions to the south are amazing to explore. Mangystau, the southern part of the Aral Sea, the 3 major cities of Uzbekistan, and then the Pamir... well, it's as good as Mongolia... though... 😏
Qui boit l'eau d'une terre étrangère doit en suivre les coutumes (proverbe Mongol)
ES Esantirulo Veteran ·
I didn’t understand your reply, Esantirulo ???

In any case, my message comes from a friend living in Saint Petersburg who I’ve been in touch with for a long time via VK.

??? It’s simple. Fuel shortages vary by location. There isn’t one type of fuel missing across the whole country. One station might be out of 92 but have 95, and somewhere else it’s the opposite. Fuel quotas per fill-up also vary. I shared an updated interactive map showing this. The SPb-Vladimir routes aren’t generally representative. The country is huge.
PO Pourrez ·
I didn’t get your reply, Esantirulo ???

Anyway, my message came from a friend who lives in Saint Petersburg and I’ve been in touch with him for a long time via VK.

??? It’s simple. Fuel shortages vary by location. There isn’t one type of fuel missing across the whole country. One station might be out of 92 but have 95, and somewhere else it’s the opposite. The quotas per fill-up also vary. I shared an updated interactive map showing this. The SPb-Vladimir routes aren’t generally representative. The country is huge.

Ah, got it—I was just passing along info from a friend about his commute between home and family. 😉
TI Tiger3 Veteran ·
Fuel situation in Russia. Siberia: This post is from yesterday by a motorcyclist friend: "After living a peaceful existence in the depths of southern Russian Altai, the mood changed with what we'll call the fuel supply problem! It's honestly a bit stressful. My bike has a range of 400 km, so I have to plan carefully before heading anywhere! If you're low on fuel, you at least need to make sure you can sleep somewhere dry because here, just like anywhere else, it rains quite often. Plus, even in good weather, you can't sleep under the stars because of the mosquitoes. The solution is to increase your range and make reasonable stops within that radius, filling up as often as possible. But with the current crisis, filling up extra cans is banned. Depending on the region, fuel quantities are limited to 50, 40, or even 20 liters. In my case, with 16L, I'm good. A friendly Russian showed me how he handled it at the pump. He even offered me his 6L can, which I mounted on my bike in a somewhat precarious way, but it really put my mind at ease... Between Novokuznetsk, especially Kemerovo and Krasnoyarsk, there were stations open but with impossible lines! Others had no queue but doubled prices. Business is business, as usual! Lukoil company stations are pretty well supplied without price hikes. Some stations only offer one type of fuel. In cities, you're guaranteed to wait in line, but on the main roads, it's calmer. Though sometimes you have to go over 300 km without being able to refuel!!!
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AT Attila Globetrotter ·
Ukraine seems to have shifted gears.

Touch it and you’ll get stung?
La rue comme gagne-pain : concours de photos amical de septembre 2026 Rubrique Jeux Voyages C'est le moment de poster vos meilleurs clichés !
PE Perju Globetrotter ·
Ukraine seems to have shifted gears.

It’s clear you’re a real cyclist...😏
Qui boit l'eau d'une terre étrangère doit en suivre les coutumes (proverbe Mongol)
AT Attila Globetrotter ·
You're kidding, right...😉
La rue comme gagne-pain : concours de photos amical de septembre 2026 Rubrique Jeux Voyages C'est le moment de poster vos meilleurs clichés !
PE Perju Globetrotter ·
Yeah, but I’m not stepping out of line... 😏

So I think Thierry’s gonna leave his 4x4 at home and head back out on his bike. 😄
Qui boit l'eau d'une terre étrangère doit en suivre les coutumes (proverbe Mongol)
LE Lescs Regular ·
Yes, but I’m not going off-topic... 😏

So I think Thierry will leave his 4x4 at home... and head back out on his bike. 😄

Same for us, despite the independence we have with our four wheels.
CS

www.lescs.fr
ES Esantirulo Veteran ·
Fuel situation in Russia.

Which fuels and where... For the current period, it might be helpful to check out interactive online maps. Example: https://tofuel.ru For phone apps, 2GIS is also handy. It’s more important if you’re using diesel, since other fuels are generally interchangeable between 92 and 98.
TI Tiger3 Veteran ·
Hi everyone, just back from my trip to Russia and Kazakhstan. Entered Russia in mid-July via Vladikavkaz at 8 AM! Interview with an FSB officer and inspection of my phone. A few kilometers later, no more GPS—this was the case in all the cities. For fuel, some gas stations had no "benzine," especially in the cities. Diesel was more widely available, so no major issues there. However, in Altai, fuel was harder to come by. I decided not to go to Mongolia—big problems still persist there.

Exiting Russia for Kazakhstan, I had to endure another phone search, this one even more unpleasant.

Re-entering Russia via Astrakhan was more normal. I noticed a significant increase in closed gas stations.
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LA Lapagaille Veteran ·
Hello, The fuel issue occurred at the end of June and the beginning of July. Currently, there aren’t too many problems anymore, and it’s even allowed to fill "jerry cans." For GPS connections, did you use Yandex to get a proper connection? Did you use a phone with a Russian number or one from outside Russia? Generally, your phone will be temporarily blocked when you enter Russia for a few hours. You’ll then receive an SMS with instructions to unlock it. It’s kind of funny—these GSM checks and questionnaires. I witnessed this, but it was for Ukrainians and/or Uzbeks. It was a waste of time at customs (a few hours), and luckily, only two people were questioned. (This was when leaving Russia.) Best regards, Patrick
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LA Lapagaille Veteran ·
Hello, Actually, when traveling by bus (coach), the issue of being interrogated by a competent Russian official doesn’t happen for tourists (except Ukrainians or those from countries near the former USSR). It would be difficult to interrogate a coach with over 60 people—Germans of Russian origin, not to mention English, Italian, Spanish tourists, etc. They’d need to set up hotels near the border crossings and provide proper translators because the ones used on mobile phones aren’t reliable.

It’s worth noting that Ukrainian nationals can no longer take coaches entering or leaving Russia (unless they have dual citizenship).

Border crossings should be measured in days, not hours.

Best regards, Patrick
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TI Tiger3 Veteran ·
Hey, anyway on August 24th in Vladikavkaz, the situation wasn't normalized at all. And the ban on filling jerry cans was still in place. Regarding interrogations, several French travelers were denied entry (Mongolia/Russia and Kazakhstan/Russia). To the point where the agency handling the visa process had to reissue a transit visa after contacting the French consulate. Several internet outages have been reported by the Russians I met. A sharp drop in Russian tourism in Altai (and of course Western tourism too). Several Russians from different parts of the country and various social backgrounds told me they're fed up with this conflict. I managed to get a SIM card without going through the "Goshosgulie" step, but it was cut off in Omsk after spending a night in a former state-run hotel. In short, it's a country at war, and you can feel it.
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LA Lapagaille Veteran ·
Hello, Actually, fuel availability varies by region. I spoke with someone living in St. Petersburg—no more fuel issues, same goes for the Moscow area. The average price for 95 octane gasoline is currently 73 rubles, and it’s cheaper in Moscow. Great job on the SIM card—it’s really hard to get one. It seems that flying or taking a bus is easier than traveling with a personal vehicle. For the French travelers who were denied entry, did they have an electronic visa? Because in that case, the entry point into Russia is determined when they apply. I hope this doesn’t discourage you from your next trip to Russia—the experience is great, and sharing it is rewarding for those reading. Best regards, Patrick
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PA Parigino Veteran ·
. Hope this doesn’t put you off your next trip to Russia—the experience is great, and sharing it is fun

Customs interrogation, phone searches, no GPS, no fuel: sure, it’s a great experience and sounds super appealing. And these are real tips, not just "someone told me that."
VE Versys6 ·
I confirm. Personally, the cop straight-up told me they’d duplicated my entire phone... 2 hours of waiting... The next day, the phone mount on the bike broke at 120 km/h on the highway, then landed somewhere in a potato field... it’s still there... 😏 but I think it’s gonna work a lot worse than before...
Partir, c'est mourir un peu et mourir c'est partir beaucoup...
CH Chalembert Regular ·
Hi, here's an article from a Russian economic magazine about the fuel shortage: https://monocle.ru/monocle/2026/36/defitsit-topliva-20/ Since this magazine is far from being anti-Kremlin, we can assume the situation described isn't exaggerated—it might even be downplayed.
TI Tiger3 Veteran ·
Referring to your article: Indeed, my vehicle has never smoked black as much as it did in Russia. Once I crossed into Kazakhstan, everything went back to normal. At every border crossing, I noticed many tanker trucks registered either in Iran, Turkey, or Kazakhstan—but fewer of the latter. Do they add water to the diesel afterward?
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