Russia weighs a full diesel export ban as Ukrainian strikes deepen its fuel crisis
Novak says the domestic market is 'challenging but under control' as refinery hits cut gasoline output a quarter and Moscow turns to seaborne imports
Summary
Russia is considering a blanket ban on diesel exports to steady a domestic fuel market battered by Ukrainian strikes on refineries, deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said. He called the situation "challenging but under control," noting refineries are running flat out and that the ban would sit atop existing gasoline and jet-fuel export curbs. Gasoline output is down roughly 25% from a year earlier, and Moscow is weighing seaborne fuel imports from Asia plus subsidies funded by fast-tracked tax legislation. The move follows fresh hits including the Poltavskaya depot strike.
Why it matters
A full diesel ban would pull Russian barrels off a market already loosening, tightening supply for Europe, Africa and Asia even as crude prices fall. It is also an admission that Ukraine's deep-strike campaign is reaching strategic effect, forcing a net oil exporter to import refined fuel and subsidise its own pumps.
What to watch
- Whether Moscow formalises the diesel ban or keeps it as a threat.
- Russian seaborne fuel-import volumes and the source countries.
- Diesel cracks and European pricing if Russian exports stop.