Russia reroutes fuel, boosts imports to combat shortages amid Ukrainian attacks

Russia is implementing emergency measures to stabilize fuel supplies in its most populous region, the Moscow area, amid ongoing disruptions from Ukrainian drone attacks on refineries. The government is rerouting fuel from Siberia and boosting imports from Belarus to avert shortages.

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Fuel supply problems have been present, to varying degrees, throughout Russia since May when Ukraine intensified attacks on Russian refineries in an effort to weaken Russian war efforts.

Since May, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russian oil refineries, impacting the nation's fuel production. While the situation in the capital and its surrounding region had largely stabilized by mid-July, following an attack on a Moscow refinery in mid-June that caused temporary shortages and long queues at gas stations, the broader impact persists.

To compensate for damaged refining capacity, Russia is redirecting gasoline produced in the Ural and Siberian regions towards Moscow. Additionally, imports from Belarus have increased. Some traders estimate these additional supplies reach several hundred thousand tons, a significant amount given the Moscow region's annual consumption of approximately six million tons of gasoline. Russia has also begun importing fuel from India to meet demand.

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Russia is rerouting fuel supplies from Siberia and increasing imports from Belarus to prevent shortages in the most populous and wealthiest area of the Moscow region as the country is hit by supply disruptions caused by Ukrainian drone attacks on refineries.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak acknowledged that while the domestic fuel market has partially stabilized, some regions continue to face serious difficulties. The Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, is among the hardest-hit areas. There, tourism-related activities for children have been suspended, fuel consumption is being rationed, and social life has been curtailed with reduced operating hours for shops and cafes.

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The situation on the domestic fuel market has partially stabilized, although some regions are still facing serious difficulties.