Fuel will be sold from mobile complexes: new rules are being prepared in Ukraine

Ukraine is preparing legislative changes that should allow the legal operation of mobile gas stations in communities where stationary gas stations have been destroyed or are unsafe to use due to Russian shelling.

MP Olga Vasylevska-Smaglyuk reported on the preparation of an appropriate mechanism.

In some communities, all stationary gas stations have been destroyed

The problem is especially acute in border regions that regularly experience Russian attacks.

According to the Ministry of Finance, there are already communities in Sumy and Chernihiv regions where 100% of stationary gas stations have been destroyed as a result of shelling.

As a result, local residents and businesses are effectively left without normal access to fuel.

Why is business in no hurry to restore gas stations

Fuel operators are not ready to invest in the reconstruction of some of the destroyed gas stations due to the high risk of repeated attacks.

A restored stationary gas station could once again become a target for a Russian strike. This means not only the risk of a repeated loss of investment, but also additional danger for workers and visitors.

That is why one of the possible solutions has become mobile gas stations, which do not require the construction of a permanent facility.

How mobile gas stations will work

The proposed mechanism should allow for the controlled sale of fuel from mobile gas stations.

It is assumed that they can be used primarily in settlements where stationary gas stations have been destroyed as a result of hostilities or their continued operation poses a danger to the population.

This format should make it possible to quickly provide communities with gasoline and diesel fuel without the need to rebuild stationary facilities in places that remain under threat of repeated strikes.

Who is working on the new rules

Legislative proposals are being jointly developed by the Ministry of Finance, the State Tax Service, representatives of local governments and the fuel business.

It is not just about allowing mobile fuel trade, but about creating a mechanism that will allow it to be carried out legally and under state control.

The Ministry of Finance emphasizes that the main reason for introducing such a format is the safety of communities that were left without stationary fuel infrastructure due to the war.

When can the draft law be submitted to the Rada

The proposals are currently being worked on.

It is expected that they will be summarized within the next week, after which the relevant draft law is planned to be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada for consideration.

If the changes are adopted, mobile gas stations may become an alternative to stationary gas stations, primarily for border and frontline communities, where the restoration of permanent fuel infrastructure is currently too dangerous.