Russians Pull 381 Billion Rubles From Banks As Cars Deliver Fuel To Front

In related signs of the Kremlin's economic and military desperation, 

the Russian central bank has begun limiting the amount of cash that Russians can withdraw from ATMs after a 30 year record 381.2 billion rubles were taken out by citizens in May.

At the same time, the Russian government has begun using civilians driving their own cars to deliver fuel to the frontlines in an attempt to avoid increasingly accurate and devastating Ukrainian drone strikes on trucks behind the fighting front. JL

UA News reports and Sania Kozatskyi reports in Militarnyi:

In May, the Russian banking system faced a massive outflow of cash - 381.2 billion rubles (approximately $5.2 billion) - the highest figure in the past three decades. Russians are increasingly choosing “cash” due to uncertainty—both geopolitical and macroeconomic. People want to have money on hand for expenses. The Russian central bank tightened controls on cash withdrawals via ATMs starting June 1. From now on, banks will monitor monthly cash withdrawal limits. Russia has started using civilian vehicles to transport fuel to its military units in occupied Ukraine. The move is an attempt to conceal military logistics from Ukrainian drone strikes, which have increasingly targeted Russian supply routes and fuel shipments far behind the front lines. 

In May, the Russian banking system faced a massive outflow of cash. According to media reports, this figure was the highest in the last three decades. Experts attribute the situation to changes in the population’s financial behavior and economic processes taking place in the country.  

In Russia, the amount of cash in circulation increased by another 381.2 billion rubles in May, setting a record for that month since statistics began in 1995.

It is noted that in April, the volume of cash in the Russian economy jumped by 678.7 billion rubles, and in March—by 301.1 billion.

The cumulative total of paper banknotes in circulation in Russia since the beginning of the year has increased by 1.09 trillion rubles.

Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Finance Global, explained that Russians are increasingly choosing “cash” due to uncertainty—both geopolitical and macroeconomic. According to her, people want to have money on hand for unplanned expenses “right here, right now.”

In addition, internet outages—which deprive Russians of access to online banking and cashless payments—as well as the Russian Central Bank’s key rate cuts, which make bank deposits less attractive, are also playing a role.

In response, the Russian central bank tightened controls on cash withdrawals via ATMs starting June 1. From now on, banks will monitor monthly cash withdrawal limits, and suspicious transactions—such as large withdrawals after a long hiatus or multiple transactions within a short period—may be blocked.

Russia has started using civilian vehicles to transport fuel to its military units in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

A video published by the Exilenova+ Telegram channel captures Russians describing the operation themselves.

According to a man speaking in the video, a convoy of civilian cars carrying one ton of gasoline was organized in the city of Kizilyurt, Dagestan. 

The fuel was packed in jerry cans and loaded into the trunks of private vehicles. The shipment was reportedly arranged at the request of the city’s authorities.

The gasoline is said to be intended for Russian military units stationed in Tokmak, a Russian-occupied city in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. 

In addition to transporting fuel, the drivers in the convoy are carrying 1.5 million rubles to purchase another batch of gasoline for the military.

Beyond supplying vehicles, gasoline is a critically important resource for maintaining the combat readiness of Russian units at the front lines. Modern warfare requires a constant power supply for electronic warfare (EW) systems, charging batteries for reconnaissance and strike drones, and powering communication equipment and other devices. Generators are the primary power source in dugouts and observation posts.

Russian forces have also begun disguising military trucks as civilian vehicles due to active attacks by Ukrainian drones deep behind the lines.

In the northern part of Crimea, an unusually fresh blue-painted Ural truck was spotted. A man in civilian clothes with a short haircut was driving, even though the vehicle still bore military license plates. 

The vehicle’s cargo bed also stands out. Although it is designed to resemble a civilian dump truck, its dimensions appear unusually large, suggesting it may have been modified to transport military supplies.

According to the Crimean Wind monitoring project, the command of Russia’s Dnepr Group of Forces has ordered the large-scale use of civilian-looking vehicles to transport fuel along the highway linking Rostov-on-Don with Russian-occupied Crimea.

The move is believed to be an attempt to conceal military logistics from Ukrainian drone strikes, which have increasingly targeted Russian supply routes and fuel shipments far behind the front lines. 

In recent weeks, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have intensified drone attacks on logistics trucks and fuel tankers traveling along routes from Russia to occupied Crimea. The increased frequency of these strikes has already forced the invaders to restrict cargo movement through the temporarily occupied parts of the Kherson region toward the peninsula.