Russia is set to import fuel by sea this month as it seeks to manage a gasoline shortage following extensive drone attacks on its refineries, four industry sources said.
In a rare move for one of the world’s largest exporters of oil and refined products, Russia is expected to receive a cargo of gasoline via one of its western ports in June, the sources said.
It will be shipped from Asia, one source said, without providing details on volumes or suppliers. Russia considered importing fuel by sea last year, another source said, but ultimately domestic supply was sufficient.
But supplies this year have been constrained by months of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries, pipelines and fuel storage facilities as it has sought to curb Moscow’s ability to finance its war effort.
The most recent attacks include on the TANECO refinery and the Moscow refinery, which led to the suspension of processing at both plants.
Fuel shortages in Russia have been reported by the media in around a dozen regions, according to data compiled by Reuters. Russian-held Crimea and two regions in Siberia have officially confirmed the shortages.
The government announced a ban on gasoline exports for producers of the fuel until the end of July, helping to maximise supplies needed over the summer months when driving demand is high.
Moscow has also imported fuel from neighbouring Belarus to address shortages and has in the past sought small volumes from Kazakhstan. However, neither country has sufficient spare capacity to support Russia in the event of a deeper supply crisis, the sources added.
One of them said seaborne imports could also be only a temporary measure and were unlikely to provide significant volumes because of logistical issues and high prices.
The sources asked not to be named because they were not authorised to speak publicly on the issue.
According to industry sources, the country exported nearly 5 million metric tons of gasoline last year, or about 117,000 barrels per day.
Trump Privately Urges Zelensky to Pressure Putin with Bolder Actions
During a June 16 meeting in France, U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly encouraged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to act more boldly against Russia, expressing doubt that Vladimir Putin would negotiate without pressure.
Trump praised Ukraine’s long-range strikes on oil refineries and infrastructure, agreed to tougher sanctions on Russian energy, and liked Zelensky’s idea for a U.S.-hosted summit with Putin. A senior Ukrainian official described the stance as ‘peace through strength,’ amid Ukraine’s efforts to disrupt Russia’s war economy as U.S. assessments now see a more balanced battlefield.
Putin holds a cabinet meeting
Vladimir Putin chaired a government meeting where officials briefed him on fuel shortages spreading across Russia’s regions and occupied Crimea.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak sought to reassure the public about Russia’s fuel shortage, calling the situation in the domestic market “difficult but manageable” and attributing supply problems to “logistical issues that periodically arise in certain regions and at certain gas stations.” Novak outlined the government’s response, which included:
- beyond the current ban on gasoline and jet fuel exports, a “complete ban on diesel fuel exports” was under consideration;
- refinery capacity across Russia had been increased, maintenance timelines had been shortened, and scheduled repairs had been postponed;
- occupied Crimea and Sevastopol, border regions, the Far East, and Kaliningrad were receiving “special attention” from the authorities.
Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said the government had introduced additional measures to protect transportation links between occupied Crimea and Russia, without specifying what those measures entailed.
The authorities also announced measures to support the tourism industry and said they planned to help utilities prepare for winter.
Putin attributed Ukraine’s intensified strikes on Russian rear areas to what he claimed was Kyiv’s attempt to offset losses at the front and strengthen its position at the negotiating table. He called on the Defense Ministry, the government, and regional authorities to “work steadily” under the threat of Ukrainian strikes and to minimize those threats. Putin said Kyiv’s “terrorist attacks” would have no effect on the situation at the front.
Ukraine has stepped up strikes on industrial facilities and oil refineries behind Russian lines. The attacks drove Russia’s gasoline production down by roughly 25 percent from June 15 to 21 compared to the average daily output in June 2025, according to Reuters data. The strikes have fed a fuel crisis spreading across Russian regions and into occupied Crimea.
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