The improvement in the fuel situation in Kabardino-Balkaria has not alleviated drivers' complaints about prices.

Queues at gas stations in Kabardino-Balkaria have decreased, and private gas stations have started lowering gasoline prices, one local driver reported on social media. Other motorists, commenting on his message, pointed out the continuing high cost of fuel, issues with its availability, and high prices for automotive gas. At the same time, some motorists confirmed the improvement in the situation at gas stations.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on October 15, authorities reported a 5% increase in gasoline prices in Kabardino-Balkaria in September, and a 5.8% increase since the beginning of the year. In August, local drivers complained about fuel shortages, long queues at network gas stations, and the price of AI-95 gasoline reaching 130 rubles per liter at private stations.

According to one local driver, the situation with gasoline supply in Kabardino-Balkaria is gradually improving.

"The situation at gas stations in Kabardino-Balkaria seems to be gradually improving: queues have become shorter, and private gas stations have started lowering gasoline prices," the driver wrote. He expressed hope that fuel would become more accessible and that supply disruptions would be left behind. His message was published on October 29 by the Instagram*-public _07_kbr.

As of 10:50 AM Moscow time on October 31, this post in the Instagram*-public _07_kbr, which has about 221.7 thousand followers, received 326 likes and 41 comments.

The decrease in prices and reduction of queues did not convince some local motorists that the fuel situation had normalized. One commenter suggested that the gasoline shortage might have been artificially created. "They raised prices, pretended it was unavailable, and returned it at a higher cost," wrote 1986_lena6666.

"Prices skyrocketed, and everything fell into place," noted sakinat_kazharova.

Another participant in the discussion criticized the fuel situation in the republic, placing responsibility on the regional leadership. "Only in Kabardino-Balkaria is the fuel situation bad... Starting from the head of the republic to everyone else," wrote nagornaia._s.a..

Other commenters reported that the improvement was not noticeable in all settlements and pointed out the cost of automotive gas. "In Prokhladny, nothing has improved with gasoline," complained lyudmila80.

"Why isn't gas getting cheaper? It seems they raised it together with gasoline?" asked king0077771.

"But the situation with gas is worsening; it already costs 46 rubles per liter in Terek," wrote arskat5.

At the same time, some users confirmed reports of reduced queues and improved gasoline availability. "Yes, we have been refueling calmly for several days now, at the old prices," said duck.3458161.

"At Lukoil on Tarchokova, there were only a few cars in the morning. I was pleasantly surprised," wrote textil_dlia_doma.

"Lukoil on Idarov, I saw all types of gasoline today, and there were no queues," reported samsung___777.

The decrease in the average gasoline price in Kabardino-Balkaria is confirmed by Rosstat data. According to the agency, as of October 26, the price of AI-92 gasoline in the republic was on average 94.21 rubles per liter, down from 99.10 rubles a week earlier. The average price of AI-95 for the same period decreased from 107.80 to 101.89 rubles per liter, as indicated in information published on October 28 on Rosstat's website.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that drivers from other republics of the North Caucasus continued to complain about high gasoline prices after the increase in fuel supplies and price reductions. Thus, on October 27, motorists in North Ossetia demanded that authorities lower fuel prices, stating that the lifting of restrictions on gasoline sales did not solve the problem of high prices. They also complained about the high cost of automotive gas and ongoing supply disruptions for certain types of gasoline.

On October 26, drivers in Ingushetia considered the decrease in gasoline prices insufficient after a sharp rise. According to them, despite the price reductions, fuel at gas stations continued to cost significantly more than before the fuel crisis began.

On September 30, Dagestani drivers criticized the antimonopoly service's explanations for the reasons behind the fuel shortage and high prices. They pointed out the significant difference between gasoline prices in the republic and neighboring regions and demanded more effective measures from officials to curb prices.