Russia Expands Gasoline Import Sources, Diversifies Supply to Stabilize Domestic Fuel Market
Russia continues broadening the geographic scope of its gasoline imports. Beyond traditional suppliers like Belarus, countries such as Kazakhstan and India are increasingly boosting their oil deliveries to Russia. By diversifying procurement sources, Russia aims to reduce reliance on single suppliers, while combining this strategy with domestic policy adjustments to ensure stable fuel market supply.
The condensate refinery in Aktau, Kazakhstan, processes crude oil supplied by Russia and exports approximately 70% of its gasoline and diesel to Russia. With an annual gasoline production capacity cap of 200,000 tons, this export volume amounts to about 140,000 tons annually—just enough to meet Russia’s daily consumption needs. It can provide a stable monthly supply of around 10,000 tons of gasoline, which, although insufficient to cover the entire national market, effectively supplements fuel demand in border regions such as Orenburg, Samara, and Saratov. The fuel quality meets Euro V emission standards. Compared to long-distance sea routes from India, Kazakhstan’s land-based supply offers clear advantages: faster logistics, lower transportation costs, and pricing closely aligned with domestic Russian prices, making it economically more favorable.
At the policy level, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Novak regards imports as a core tool for stabilizing the domestic fuel market. In July, the government upgraded its support policy for oil companies’ import dampeners, significantly increasing incentives for refined product imports. Belarus remains Russia’s most critical oil partner. From January to July 2026, gasoline and diesel exports from Belarus to Russia surged by 25-fold and 7-fold respectively. In July alone, gasoline exports reached 212,000 tons and diesel 162,000 tons. Even though rail shipments declined slightly in August, Belarus still accounted for nearly half of Russia’s total refined product imports.
In addition, Russia imports about 30,000 tons each of 92-octane gasoline from Morocco and South Korea. India has also begun supplying fuel to Russia; the first large shipment arrived at Murmansk but was initially delayed due to high prices. Subsequent small batches entered the market at 105,000 rubles per ton. However, most Asian supplies rely on maritime transport involving ship-to-ship transfers, leading to higher costs and longer delivery cycles. These sources are better suited to meet demand in Russia’s Far East region but are not suitable for large-scale supply to European parts of the country.
Industry experts generally agree that land-based supplies from neighboring countries like Belarus and Kazakhstan will remain irreplaceable in the long term. Meanwhile, Asian maritime sources serve as valuable supplements, enriching procurement channels and specifically meeting the fuel demands of the Far East. This multi-layered supply structure will continue to ensure the stable operation of Russia’s domestic fuel market.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1874548105664667/
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