Fuel pumps are running dry but Putin won’t let Russians complain

Moscow censors residents’ outrage at petrol shortages caused by Ukrainian strikes.

Vladimir Putin must have been relieved to find a group of adoring children standing outside a petrol station rather than a queue of irate motorists during his visit to Novosibirsk.

He ordered his motorcade to be halted and greeted the cheering crowd after they had waited two hours for him to arrive in a choreographed PR stunt.