Russia is preparing to launch large-scale gasoline imports from India, amid growing domestic fuel shortages caused by a wave of Ukrainian drone strikes on critical oil refineries. In a sign of mounting pressure, Russia has already turned to seaborne gasoline imports. According to RBC, draft amendments to Russia’s Tax Code would introduce budget subsidies for oil companies importing gasoline from abroad, extending an existing mechanism introduced eight years ago to keep retail fuel prices in check.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Under the proposed rules, the subsidy would be calculated based on an indicative gasoline price on the Indian market and the cost of shipping fuel from Indian ports to Russia. The State Duma’s budget and tax committee has backed the bill, with a source telling RBC it could pass its second and third readings as early as Wednesday. India: Russia’s largest crude customer India became Russia’s largest buyer of crude after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, purchasing between 1.5 and 2 million barrels (approximately 238.48 million liters to 318.35 million liters) per day in 2025, reaching a record of 2.66 million barrels (roughly 423 million liters) per day in June 2026. A portion of that crude is processed in Indian refineries and re-exported as petroleum products, including gasoline. According to Reuters citing Wood Mackenzie, estimated Indian gasoline exports hit a record 400,000 barrels (roughly 6.36 million liters) per day in 2025, with Asian countries among the primary buyers.