Refinery attacks push Russia to seek petrol supplies from Asia

Russia is set to begin importing petrol by sea for the first time in a long period as it seeks to address fuel shortages following a series of drone strikes on oil refineries.

The fuel will be delivered to a western Russian port from one of several Asian countries. One source said the shipment will originate from Asia, though the exact country of supply has not been disclosed, The Moscow Times reports.

Following a summer wave of refinery attacks last year, Russian authorities had already considered importing petrol from China, Singapore and South Korea. However, sources did not confirm whether these countries are involved in the current deliveries.

At present, Moscow is relying heavily on fuel imports from Belarus. Between January and May, supplies from two Belarusian refineries increased 13-fold to 270,000 tons, while diesel shipments tripled to 179,000 tons. Russian officials have also reportedly sought fuel supplies from Kazakhstan. However, neither Belarus nor Kazakhstan is believed to have sufficient capacity to significantly support the Russian fuel market.

According to Energy Intelligence, Russia’s oil refining volumes fell to a 21-year low by early June, dropping below 4 million barrels per day. Following more than 40 drone strikes on refineries since the start of the year, around 30% of refining capacity—approximately 2.1 million barrels per day—has been taken offline.

In June, strikes hit the major TANECO refinery in Nizhnekamsk and the Moscow refinery, which previously supplied up to 40% of fuel to the capital. Both facilities suspended operations, joining at least six other refineries that were fully or partially shut down in May.

By Vafa Guliyeva