Russia is preparing to import gasoline by sea this month in a rare move aimed at easing a growing fuel shortage caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on its key oil infrastructure. According to four industry sources, cited by Reuters on Wednesday, at least one shipment is expected to arrive in June through a western Russian port, with fuel likely sourced from Asia.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. However, details on volumes and suppliers remain unclear. The shift marks an unusual step for Russia – one of the world’s largest oil and fuel exporters – and underscores growing strain on its refining system after months of sustained attacks on refineries, pipelines, and storage facilities. Recent strikes reportedly hit major sites, including the Taneco refinery and the Moscow oil refinery, forcing temporary shutdowns. Fuel shortages have now been reported across roughly a dozen Russian regions, with official acknowledgements coming from occupied Crimea and parts of Siberia. In response, Moscow has extended a ban on gasoline exports for producers until the end of July to prioritize domestic supply during peak summer demand. Russia has also turned to Belarus for additional fuel imports and previously explored supplies from Kazakhstan, but both countries are said to lack the spare capacity to meaningfully offset the shortfall. Analysts cited by sources say sea imports are likely to remain a stopgap measure, limited by logistics and high costs.