MOSCOW
Russia on Wednesday imposed a ban on diesel fuel exports to “increase supplies to the domestic market,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said.
Speaking at a government meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Novak said Moscow will begin importing petroleum products in July to stabilize the country’s fuel market.
“We will also begin importing petroleum products in July and increase production volumes by sourcing petroleum products of a lower environmental class,” he said.
He said the country’s fuel market had partially stabilized but remained “challenging.”
Due to recent Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries, several facilities suspended operations for maintenance, prompting Moscow to periodically impose restrictions aimed at stabilizing the domestic fuel market.
In early June, Russia imposed a temporary ban on aviation fuel exports through Nov. 30 to help maintain stability in the domestic fuel market.
Ukraine’s General Staff said last month that the Ukrainian military struck 16 major Russian oil refineries and fuel terminals between January and June, disabling more than 30% of Russia’s oil refining capacity.
Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure had contributed to fuel shortages but insisted the situation remained under control.
“We are currently seeing a certain shortage, but it’s not critical,” Putin said, adding that damaged energy facilities were being restored quickly.
At the end of June, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia plans to buy gas from abroad to stabilize the domestic market, a rare step for a country that imported large volumes of energy resources only in the 1990s after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
