Ban on Petrol Exports from Russia Extended Until Year-End
The government plans to extend the ban on petrol exports, including for producers, until the end of the year. Restrictions on the export of diesel fuel may be lifted earlier as the market recovers. According to experts, in the current situation, exporting could worsen fuel shortages in the domestic market, but the prohibition on sales abroad does not resolve the issues of fuel delivery to remote regions of Russia.
The ban on petrol exports from Russia will be extended until the end of the year, including for refineries, as announced on 25 July by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. He stated that restrictions on diesel fuel exports are expected to be lifted "as the market recovers." Mr Novak noted that the possibility of diesel fuel exports is crucial to ensure full refinery workloads and avoid overproduction. Currently, the ban on petrol and diesel fuel exports is set until 31 July. The restrictions do not apply to fuel supplied under intergovernmental agreements.
The complete ban on petrol exports was implemented in Russia on 31 August 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 capacity overload, while for other market participants, the measure remained in place until 31 July. Since 1 April, the ban was again extended to refineries. The export of diesel fuel for producers has been prohibited since 8 July.
According to Kpler, the volume of oil refining in Russia fell to 4.1 million barrels per day in June due to attacks on refineries, the lowest level in recent years. As Alexander Novak noted on 21 July, the measures taken, including the prohibition of oil product exports, market saturation through imports, and the postponement of refinery repairs, have led to partial market stabilization and the lifting of sales restrictions in various regions. However, a source told “Ъ” that petrol reserves in Russia may have decreased to less than 1.5 million tonnes. According to the Ministry of Energy, which President Vladimir Putin referred to at the end of June, petrol reserves fell year-on-year by 4% to 1.7 million tonnes.
Open Oil Market's General Director Sergey Tereshkin stated that the extension of the petrol export ban was to be expected given the risks of shortage in the fuel market.
"The ban is already perceived as the norm, as such restrictions were frequently implemented even before 2026," he added. The analyst noted that in previous years, exports accounted for only 10-15% of petrol production, whereas for diesel fuel, this share reached up to 50%. Therefore, the ban on diesel fuel exports is a far more sensitive measure for oil producers than the ban on petrol exports. It is evident that by the end of July, neither production nor logistics had sufficiently recovered to warrant lifting the restrictions, noted the Director for External Communications at NEFT Research, Dmitry Prokofiev. He stated that until production is restored, any petrol export would only exacerbate domestic shortages.
Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for the President of Russia, stated on 22 July in “Prime”:
"The situation in the fuel market still requires special attention."
According to Sergey Tereshkin, the "diesel" ban may potentially be lifted in the fourth quarter after the agricultural season concludes. However, the dynamics of unscheduled repairs at refineries will play a crucial role, the expert emphasises. Market participants predict a suspension of diesel fuel exports from Russia until the end of the year, as noted in the S&P Global review.
Dmitry Prokofiev remarks that the extension of the ban until the year's end indicates that the petrol market will remain under administrative regulation at least until 2027.
The export alternative for producers is switched off, and prices in the domestic market will be determined not by global quotations but by internal decisions, he explains. The expert adds that the extension of the ban does not solve the logistical issues—it merely ensures that the fuel produced does not leave the country but does not guarantee its delivery to remote regions. As noted in the minutes of meetings chaired by Alexander Novak (available to “Ъ”), the tense situation persists primarily in Siberia and the Far East.
Source: Kommersant
