Russia Imports Gasoline From India For First Time As Ukraine Strikes Trigger Fuel Shortages
· Free Press Journal
Russia has begun importing gasoline from India for the first time as repeated Ukrainian strikes on its refineries have caused a shortage of motor fuel within the country, Bloomberg reported.
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According to the report, data from commodity analytics firm Kpler shows that the first shipment arrived in Russia on August 5, with more cargoes potentially expected.
The development highlights the severity of the fuel shortage in a country that has traditionally been a major exporter of refined petroleum products.
Indian refiner Nayara Energy, which is backed by Russian oil major Rosneft, has emerged as a supplier of gasoline to Russia. The fuel is being transported through a network of Russian-linked tankers and ship-to-ship transfers near Egypt.
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According to analysts, the arrival of Indian fuel reflects a major shift in Russia’s energy trade patterns. Sumit Ritolia, lead analyst at Kpler, said the emergence of Indian gasoline shipments shows the extent of the domestic fuel imbalance caused by lower refinery operations.
Russia has been facing pressure on its refining sector after a series of Ukrainian drone attacks targeted processing facilities. EA Analytics estimated that Russian crude processing levels fell to around 3.6 million barrels per day in July, nearly one-third below seasonal levels.
The attacks have continued, with multiple refineries reportedly hit in recent weeks. As refinery output declined, Russia prioritised domestic fuel availability and extended restrictions on gasoline and diesel exports.
The disruption comes amid broader instability in global energy markets, with tensions continuing in both the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Middle East.
Complex tanker routes used for gasoline shipments
Nayara Energy’s Vadinar refinery in Gujarat has supplied the gasoline cargoes. The company has faced restrictions in international trade since being sanctioned by the European Union last year and has increasingly relied on alternative shipping arrangements.
For the first shipment, the Russian-flagged tanker Cyclone loaded around 42,000 tonnes of gasoline from Vadinar on June 18. The cargo was later transferred to Oman-flagged vessel Garnet at Damietta port off Egypt before reaching Russia in early August.
Additional shipments may follow. Kpler data suggests another tanker, Varg, loaded nearly 40,000 tonnes of gasoline from Vadinar in July and likely transferred the cargo at Damietta.
Another tanker, Photon, reportedly carried gasoline from India before transferring the cargo to the Russian-flagged Talisman near Egypt. Several vessels involved in these movements have faced sanctions from Western countries.
Kpler said Damietta has become an important transfer point for moving Indian-origin gasoline towards Russian markets. However, the final destinations of some shipments remain unconfirmed.
The gasoline imports mark a significant reversal for Russia, which has historically supplied refined fuels to international markets. The move underscores the impact of refinery disruptions and the challenges Moscow faces in balancing domestic fuel demand with export restrictions.