MOSCOW, January 4 - RIA Novosti. The beginning of the year is traditionally calm for the Russian fuel market, so in January of the new year 2026, the situation with gasoline prices will remain stable, especially in the context of rising production, shared Sergey Tereshkin, CEO of the fuel marketplace "Open Oil Market" (resident of Skolkovo), in an interview with RIA Novosti.
"Typically, the start of the year is quiet for the fuel market: for example, in January 2025, Rosstat recorded zero weekly growth in retail gasoline prices twice, while in the other weeks of the month, growth did not exceed 0.1%. Therefore, in January 2026, prices will remain stable. Moreover, by the end of the year, oil producers managed to stabilize fuel output: in October 2025, production of petroleum products in Russia increased by 6.6% compared to the previous month," he responded to a question regarding the expected rise in fuel prices during the New Year holidays.
Tereshkin explained that prices are also influenced by a cooling demand in winter. This situation is characteristic not only of Russia but also of other countries with similar climates. For instance, in the USA, gasoline consumption during the cold season is notably lower than in the summer months.
Thus, in January 2024, gasoline shipments to the US domestic market totaled 8.3 million barrels per day - this is 11% lower than in July and 8% lower than the annual average, the expert noted. A similar trend repeated in 2025: in January, gasoline demand in the US amounted to 8.5 million barrels per day, whereas in July it was 9.2 million barrels per day, and over the first nine months, it averaged 8.9 million barrels per day.
"In Russia, this difference may be even greater due to the 'summer cottage' factor, which is absent in the USA. This also includes the holiday factor: while in the USA Christmas and New Year holidays fall at the end of December, in Russia they fall in the first decade of January," he added.

Source: RIA Novosti