Russian authorities have reinstated a complete ban on gasoline exports until August 31 to stabilize the domestic fuel market, where prices have surged nearly 30% since the start of the year and approached record highs.
Previously, the export restrictions applied only to traders, intermediaries, and fuel depots. The new government directive now includes producers, aiming to “maintain stability in the domestic fuel market during the peak seasonal demand and agricultural fieldwork,” according to an official announcement on the government’s Telegram channel.
Wholesale gasoline prices have risen sharply since April. On the St. Petersburg Commodity Exchange, AI-92 gasoline prices jumped 29% to over 65,000 rubles per ton, while AI-95 climbed 28% to more than 73,000 rubles per ton — nearly matching the record levels seen in summer 2023.
Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev attributed some of the supply challenges to difficulties repairing refineries due to European sanctions on equipment imports imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. These sanctions have caused delays in refinery maintenance and forced operators to adjust repair schedules.
Last year, oil processing volumes at Russian refineries dropped to a 12-year low following Ukrainian drone strikes that disabled at least 10 major plants, forcing some to halt operations for months.
In summer 2025, several major facilities, including the Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant, Gazprom’s Surgut Gas Processing Complex, and Rosneft’s Kuibyshev Refinery, were temporarily shut down for repairs. Additionally, the Samara refinery group reportedly cut back fuel shipments in June.
Russia first introduced gasoline export restrictions in March 2024, with exemptions for intergovernmental deliveries, exports by citizens for personal use, and fuel sent as international humanitarian aid. The embargo was briefly lifted between May 20 and the end of July 2024. Since December 2024, only producers have been permitted to export gasoline.
Despite these measures, Russian gasoline exports rose by 25% during January to May 2025, reaching 2.51 million tons, according to Reuters calculations.
