Kenneth Glad
Fuel imports are rising as production remains under strain. Authorities are also loosening standards that had been tightened more than a decade ago.
Russia has reopened its market to lower-grade gasoline while increasing fuel imports after attacks on Russian refineries reduced production and placed added pressure on domestic supplies.
Gasoline output had fallen to about 65% of average domestic consumption by early July 2026, according to figures from The Moscow Times. Diesel production had also weakened and was barely sufficient to cover demand, leaving the market with little room to absorb further disruptions.
According to UNITED24 Media, Russian gasoline imports from Belarus reached nearly 665,000 tons in the first seven months of 2026. That was about 25 times the volume recorded during the same period in 2025.
Diesel shipments from Belarus rose almost sevenfold to around 418,000 tons over the same period. Deliveries reached record levels in July as Russian authorities sought to compensate for reduced refinery output.
Russia has also looked to India, Kazakhstan and Morocco for additional fuel while restricting diesel exports. Together, those steps have expanded the pool of available supplies as domestic production remains under strain.
Older standards ease production
The government has authorized the production, import and sale of K2, K3 and K4 gasoline, which correspond to Euro-2, Euro-3 and Euro-4 environmental standards, until July 1, 2027. The decision gives Russian producers and suppliers more room to use fuel grades that had largely been phased out under stricter regulations.
Russia banned sales of Euro-2 gasoline in 2013 as tougher fuel-quality rules were introduced. Under the revised regulations, Euro-2 gasoline may contain up to 500 milligrams of sulfur per kilogram, compared with a limit of 10 milligrams for Euro-5 fuel.
Selected Russian refineries had already been permitted in July to produce and sell Euro-3 gasoline through the end of 2026, suggesting that authorities had begun easing fuel requirements before the broader policy change was introduced.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said the relaxation was necessary after drone strikes reduced refinery output and increased pressure on the domestic fuel market.
Dmitry Prokofyev, Communications Director at NEFT Research, said older fuel standards allow refineries to process naphtha without the deeper treatment needed to produce higher-grade gasoline. That can help facilities continue making usable fuel even when some advanced processing equipment is unavailable or operating below normal capacity.
Older specifications therefore give refineries greater flexibility under constrained operating conditions. Prokofyev also warned that Euro-2 gasoline may be unsuitable for many modern vehicles, which are designed to run on cleaner fuels with much lower sulfur content.
Sources: UNITED24 Media, The Moscow Times
