TBILISI, September 25 – Russia will keep its ban on gasoline exports in place until the end of the year and widen restrictions to include diesel shipments, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak confirmed, according to Interfax.
The gasoline ban, first imposed in late July to stabilize domestic supply, had already been extended twice. Now it will remain through December, covering both fuel producers and non-producers. Diesel restrictions will apply to non-producers, also until year’s end. Exceptions will be made for deliveries under intergovernmental agreements, such as those supplying Russian-backed territories.
The move comes as Russia faces severe fuel shortages at home. Gasoline prices have soared to historic highs, climbing by 50 percent since April. By early September, retail gasoline was 7.2 percent more expensive than at the end of 2023, while diesel rose 2.3 percent, official statistics show. With annual inflation running at 9.5 percent, the 2024 increase in pump prices has outpaced the broader economy.
Behind the crunch are shrinking wholesale sales, which dropped to a two-year low, and a wave of refinery shutdowns after Ukrainian drone strikes. Several of Russia’s biggest refineries declared force majeure, halting supplies and draining local stocks. Farmers, who typically push up demand during the harvest season, have added pressure to the market.
Independent fuel retailers have been hit hardest. Without access to priority contracts, some smaller chains, about 20 stations each, stopped retail sales in mid-September, limiting distribution to long-term partners.
The pain is spilling over into nearby regions reliant on Russian fuel. In Abkhazia, supplied under Moscow’s government-to-government deals, drivers report that not only premium AI-95 gasoline but even the cheaper AI-92 has reached “golden prices.”
