One of the most followed travel vloggers, Attila Bertici, recently presented the situation at gas stations in Russia: huge queues, lasting several hours, for petrol, led him to abandon his adventure in Russia and send his own motorbike, together with a colleague, to Romania.
News regarding fuels from Russia is contradictory: while Reutrers cites sources who say that Russia’s diesel production has fallen to a level equivalent to only 65% of the average seasonal consumption, after the Ukrainian attacks, the IEA (International Energy Agency) claims that Russia’s oil production will fall by about 3% this year, to 8.9 million barrels per day (bpd), following Ukraine’s attacks on energy infrastructure.
The damage has caused operations to stop at many refineries, including NORSI and Omsk, the country’s largest diesel producers. Another major diesel producer, the Saratov refinery, has also been forced to halt production, industry sources said. They added that diesel output is below what is needed at this time of year, when sunny weather boosts travel demand by 40,000 to 45,000 metric tons per day, or about 35 percent, Reuters reported, according to Agerpres.
In June, the daily deficit was reportedly 25 percent.
Daily diesel demand in Russia, the world’s third-largest oil producer, is about 115,000 to 120,000 tons during the peak summer consumption period, the sources said.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said, however, that “a ban on diesel exports has been introduced and this will make it possible to increase supplies to the domestic market.”
He acknowledged that the fuel situation remains complex and acknowledged that “it is clear that the current situation at gas stations is causing concern among public opinion.” The ban, which includes fuel producers, will be in place until July 31, the government said.
Russia has also started importing fuel. Deliveries of gasoline and diesel from Belarus to Russia hit a monthly record in June, and other sources said Russia is importing diesel from India.
Traders say up to 6,000 tons of diesel per day are being delivered from neighboring Belarus to Russia, which is also tapping reserves.
In contrast, the IEA expects Russia’s oil production to reach 8.9 million bpd in 2026 and 8.8 million bpd in 2027, down from 9.2 million bpd in 2025.
In June, Russia’s crude oil production rose by 120,000 bpd from May to 8.86 million bpd, the agency said.
However, Russia has not published its oil production data since April 2023.
The IEA estimates that Russia’s total crude oil exports in June were 5.8 million bpd, up 620,000 bpd from May, while exports of petroleum products fell by 230,000 bpd to 1.91 million bpd.
