Russia's growing fuel crisis is becoming a major driver of inflation, increasing transport and production costs and pushing up consumer prices, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Moscow Times.

Rising gasoline and diesel prices have already put additional pressure on household budgets and are increasingly affecting logistics and agriculture, with higher costs being passed on to consumers through supermarket prices.

Between late May and July 6, prices for staple vegetables rose sharply. Potatoes and onions increased by 27.7%, cabbage by 18.8%, beets by 17.2% and carrots by 13.1%. Other categories posting notable price increases included holidays on Russia's Black Sea coast, which rose by 7.5%, trips to Southeast Asia, up 8.8%, and chicken, which increased by 6.1%.

During the same period, gasoline prices climbed by 8.9%, while diesel prices rose by 10.5%. Annual fuel inflation has approached 20%, its highest level in 15 years.

Analysts say fuel prices are rising nearly three times faster than overall inflation, while fuel shortages are making transportation more expensive and slowing deliveries.

Economists warn that higher fuel costs are increasingly being passed through to consumers via transport and production expenses. In June, the impact was particularly evident in newly harvested vegetables, while prices also increased for sugar by 2.9%, apples by 2%, medicines by between 1% and 2.3%, animal feed by 1.8%, smartphones by 1.7%, fish by 1.4% and bread by 1%.

Russia's central bank has warned that inflationary pressures could intensify further. According to a survey conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM), 49% of respondents expect price growth to accelerate over the next month.