Russia is preparing to extend its ban on diesel exports through at least September, with discussions underway to push the restriction through the end of 2026. The culprit: Ukrainian drone strikes that keep knocking refineries offline faster than Moscow can patch them back together.
The ban was first imposed on July 8 and was supposed to expire at the end of that month. It hasn’t. Multiple extensions later, Russian fuel producers still can’t ship diesel abroad, and the government is quietly acknowledging that the domestic supply picture isn’t exactly rosy.
The numbers tell a stark story
Russian diesel and gasoil loadings averaged roughly 234,000 barrels per day in early July 2026. That’s a brutal drop from 400,000 bpd in June, and barely a quarter of the approximately 817,000 bpd Russia was exporting in 2025.
Ukrainian drone strikes on August 24-25 forced operational halts at the Novoshakhtinsk and Afipsky refineries, two facilities that were supposed to be contributing to the domestic supply recovery.
