Restrictive measures will be introduced starting March 1st. It is also planned to increase the norms for diesel fuel sales on the exchange to 16%. Officially, the ban is intended to compensate for the demand for fuel during summer vacations, field works, and planned maintenance shutdowns at oil refineries. The restrictions will not apply to countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and the self-proclaimed South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
It is worth noting that the restrictions are being introduced against the backdrop of frequent breakdowns of foreign equipment at Russian oil depots. In particular, at the beginning of January, there was confirmed information about a breakdown of one of the installations at the LUKOIL NORSI refinery. After that, gasoline prices on the domestic market began to rise sharply. Repairing or replacing foreign equipment in Russia is not possible due to anti-war sanctions, creating significant problems for the country's oil industry. Regular drone attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russian oil and gas infrastructure also played a significant role. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak assured propagandists that the situation is under control:
«The situation is absolutely stable in terms of gasoline supply, even despite the situation that occurred at the Nizhny Novgorod LUKOIL plant,» he said in response to a question about the advisability of introducing the ban.
Previously, Russia had already imposed a ban on gasoline exports. It was in effect from September 21 to November 17, 2023. The decision to lift it was made after the domestic market was saturated with fuel.
