One of the world's largest exporters of oil products is preparing to import gasoline by sea - from Asia, through western ports. It sounds absurd, and that's exactly why it matters: Russia, which last year exported around five million tons of gasoline, is now running short of fuel on its own domestic market.

The reason isn't the oil - Russia has plenty of that. The problem is the refineries. Persistent Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries, pipelines and fuel infrastructure have damaged, among other things, plants near Moscow, forcing production stoppages. In other words, you have the raw material, but the plant that turns it into fuel for the market, the army and logistics is under attack.

The consequences are already visible internally. Parts of Siberia and Crimea have felt local shortages, with rationing in Crimea and long lines at certain pumps. The authorities have banned gasoline exports until the end of July to keep fuel at home during the peak of the summer season. The backup channels - Belarus and limited quantities from Kazakhstan - aren't enough when a major refinery goes down.

For us in the Balkans, this is a reminder of how thin the line is between an "energy superpower" and queues at the pump. A country that exports millions of tons suddenly imports expensively, through complicated logistics, just to patch holes. And here's the point that applies to every government that brags about its resources: wealth in raw materials means nothing if you can't protect what turns them into something usable. How long would our own "strategic advantages" last for even a single season under real pressure?