Moscow turns to Ankara for gasoline as imports mount

Russia has purchased gasoline from Türkiye for the first time, marking a notable reversal for a country that has long supplied Türkiye with oil and refined petroleum products.

A tanker carrying up to 50,000 metric tons of gasoline is expected to arrive at a Baltic port in Russia by the end of August. The cargo is being transported by the Wendrix, a vessel subject to sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. The tanker loaded the fuel at the Turkish port of Mersin.

The shipment represents Russia’s fifth gasoline import since July, highlighting growing reliance on foreign supplies amid pressure on the domestic fuel market.

Earlier this month, a tanker carrying gasoline from India arrived in Murmansk. The cargo was shipped from the Vadinar refinery, which is partly owned by Russian oil major Rosneft.

Russia has also imported gasoline from Morocco, although the origin of that fuel remains unclear. Morocco’s sole refinery has been shut down since 2015, raising questions about where the imported gasoline was produced.

By Vafa Guliyeva