Russia begins importing Indian gasoline by sea to combat widespread fuel shortages - report
Domestic supply crunch deepens in Russia as Ukrainian drone strikes cripple a quarter of Russia's refining capacity
Russia has initiated importation of gasoline from India in an effort to mitigate widespread domestic fuel shortages triggered by Ukrainian drone strikes on its energy infrastructure, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing industry sources.
The fuel deficits have spread across Russia, resulting in fuel rationing in some regions, long queues at filling stations, and record increases in retail gasoline prices. The Kremlin confirmed on Tuesday that it is currently in discussions with foreign partners regarding fuel imports at acceptable prices.
According to one industry source, India has already dispatched at least 60,000 metric tons of gasoline to Russia. A separate source stated that two tankers have been sent, carrying individual cargoes of 30,000 to 40,000 tons each. It remains unclear which specific Indian oil refineries are supplying the fuel.
A third source told Reuters that Moscow plans to import a total of 400,000 metric tons of gasoline per month from various countries. This includes neighboring Belarus, which has already drastically accelerated its deliveries to Russia. According to industry data and Reuters calculations, Belarusian rail supplies of gasoline to Russia exceeded 70,000 tons in the first half of June, nearly tripling the volumes recorded during the first half of May.
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously acknowledged during a meeting with government ministers and senior officials that Ukrainian drone strikes on major oil refineries had caused local fuel shortages, but he maintained that the state was successfully managing the situation.
To clear legal hurdles for the emergency imports, the Russian parliament approved amendments to the national tax code last week that offer state subsidies on fuel imports, with the relief explicitly pegged to Indian delivery costs and prices.
Following Western sanctions, India has become the world's primary buyer of discounted Russian crude oil, with imports climbing to a record high of approximately 2.70 million barrels per day in June. Consequently, Russia is now purchasing refined gasoline back from a nation that relies heavily on Russian crude to run its own refineries