Ban on gasoline exports from Russia to be extended until the end of the year
The government intends to extend the ban on gasoline exports, including for manufacturers, until the end of the year. Restrictions on the export of diesel fuel may be lifted sooner, as the market recovers. In the current situation, exports could exacerbate fuel shortages in the domestic market; however, experts believe that the ban on foreign sales does not address delivery issues of fuel to remote regions of Russia.
The ban on gasoline exports from Russia will be extended until the end of the year, including for refineries, as announced by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak on July 25. According to him, restrictions on the export of diesel fuel are planned to be lifted “as the market recovers.” Mr. Novak pointed out that the possibility of exporting diesel fuel is important for ensuring full capacity utilization of refineries and preventing surplus. Currently, the ban on gasoline and diesel fuel exports is set until July 31. The restrictions do not apply to fuel supplied under intergovernmental agreements.
A full ban on gasoline exports was introduced in Russia on August 31, 2025, due to a sharp rise in wholesale and retail fuel prices. At the end of January, the government lifted the embargo for refineries to prevent bottlenecking at capacities; this measure was maintained for other market participants until July 31. As of April 1, the ban was again applied to refineries. The export of diesel fuel for manufacturers has been prohibited since July 8.
According to data from Kpler, Russia's oil refining capacity dropped to 4.1 million barrels per day in June due to attacks on refineries, marking a low for recent years. As Alexander Novak noted on July 21, the measures taken, including the ban on petroleum product exports, saturating the market through imports, and rescheduling refinery repairs, have led to a partial stabilization of the market and the lifting of sales restrictions in some regions. However, a source from “Ъ” highlighted that gasoline reserves in Russia may have shrunk to less than 1.5 million tons. According to the Ministry of Energy, which President Vladimir Putin cited at the end of June, gasoline reserves decreased year-on-year by 4% to 1.7 million tons.
CEO of Open Oil Market, Sergey Tereshkin, stated that the extension of the gasoline export ban was quite expected given the risks of shortages in the fuel market.
“The ban is already perceived as a norm, as such restrictions were often imposed even before 2026,” he adds. According to the analyst, in previous years, exports accounted for only 10–15% of gasoline production, while this share for diesel fuel reached up to 50%. Therefore, the ban on the latter is significantly more sensitive for oil producers than the ban on gasoline exports. It is clear that by the end of July, neither production nor logistics had sufficiently recovered to lift the restrictions, notes Dmitry Prokofyev, Director of External Communications at NEFT Research. He points out that until production recovers, any gasoline exports would exacerbate shortages domestically.
Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the President of Russia, on July 22 stated in "Prime":
“The situation in the fuel market still, of course, requires special attention.”
According to Sergey Tereshkin, the "diesel" ban may be lifted in the fourth quarter after the completion of agricultural work. However, the expert underscores that the dynamics of unplanned repairs at refineries will play a decisive role. Market participants forecast a halt in diesel fuel exports from Russia until the end of the year, as noted in an S&P Global review.
As Dmitry Prokofyev observes, extending the ban until the end of the year means that the gasoline market will remain under administrative regulation at least until 2027.
The export alternative for producers has been turned off, and prices in the domestic market will be determined not by global quotes but by internal decisions, he explains. The expert adds that extending the ban does not resolve the logistical issue—it merely ensures that produced fuel does not leave the country, but does not facilitate its delivery to remote regions. As noted in protocols of meetings led by Alexander Novak (available to “Ъ”), the tense situation persists primarily in Siberia and the Far East.
Source: Kommersant
