Russia’s government is considering a full ban on diesel exports to stabilize the domestic fuel market amid growing shortages and rising prices linked to Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries and supply networks.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Tuesday that the situation in the domestic market was “challenging but under control,” noting that a total ban on diesel exports is now being weighed alongside existing restrictions on gasoline and jet fuel exports.
“We have maxed out capacity across all oil refineries, shortened repair timelines and postponed scheduled maintenance to later dates,” Novak said during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials.
His comments mark a shift from earlier this month, when he said there was no immediate need for a blanket diesel ban. Currently, only Russian companies that produce diesel are allowed to sell it overseas.
Novak on Tuesday also sought to downplay the growing number of fuel rationing measures across the country, describing them as “occasional delivery hiccups in certain regions and at specific gas stations.”
