MOSCOW: Russia has begun importing petrol from India by sea to ease worsening fuel shortages caused by repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on its oil refineries and energy infrastructure, according to industry sources.
The shortages have disrupted fuel supplies across Russia’s 11 time zones, leading to rationing, long queues at filling stations, and record-high petrol prices. The Kremlin confirmed earlier this week that it is in talks with several countries to secure fuel imports at competitive prices.
Industry sources said at least 60,000 metric tons of petrol have already been shipped from India to Russia, with two tankers carrying between 30,000 and 40,000 metric tons each. Russia is reportedly planning to import around 400,000 metric tons of petrol every month from various countries, including neighboring Belarus.
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries had disrupted domestic fuel supplies but said the government was taking steps to stabilize the market. Russia’s parliament has also approved amendments to the tax code, introducing subsidies for fuel imports based on Indian delivery costs to help ease the crisis.
Belarus has significantly increased petrol exports to Russia, with rail shipments exceeding 70,000 metric tons during the first half of June—almost three times the volume recorded in the first half of May.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan has agreed to supply 50,000 metric tons of petrol to Russia during July and August as humanitarian assistance, according to industry sources. Petrol grades AI-95 and AI-92 will be supplied from Kazakhstan’s Pavlodar and Kondensat refineries. However, Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry said it has not received any official request from Russian state authorities and noted that future exports would depend on domestic fuel availability.
At the same time, India’s purchases of Russian crude oil have surged to record levels. Ship-tracking data from LSEG and Kpler showed India imported approximately 2.7 million barrels per day of Russian crude in June, making Russia the source of more than half of India’s total crude imports, compared with 36.5% in May.
The increase reflects India’s efforts to secure stable and affordable energy supplies amid disruptions to global shipping routes and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, while Russia continues to rely on international partners to offset domestic fuel supply challenges.
By Reuters
