Russia to partially ban diesel exports, extend gasoline restrictions after Ukrainian drone attacks

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia will introduce a partial ban on diesel exports until the end of the year and extend an existing ban on gasoline exports, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak was quoted as saying on Thursday, following a spate of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries.

The attacks have reduced Russian oil refining by almost a fifth on certain days and cut exports from key ports. The fall in capacity to refine oil has pushed Moscow close to reducing crude output. Several Russian regions are facing shortages of certain grades of fuel.

Novak was quoted as saying there was a small deficit of oil products, but stockpiles were being used to cover the shortfall.

The diesel ban applies to re-sellers but not to producers. Industry sources said the volumes of diesel exported by traders from Russia are relatively small.

Around three-quarters of diesel exports are shipped by producers via the North and South pipelines which lead, respectively, to Baltic and Black Sea ports.

According to industry sources, Russia produced almost 86 million metric tons of diesel in 2024, exporting some 31 million tons. Russia and the United States are the world's top seaborne exporters of diesel.

The gasoline ban covers producers as well as re-sellers, but does not affect inter-governmental agreements between Russia and a number of other countries, such as Mongolia.

"We will soon extend the ban on gasoline exports until the end of the year, and a ban on diesel fuel exports for non-producers will also be introduced until the end of the year," Novak said, according to Interfax.

"This will allow us to further supply the market with petroleum products," he said.

Low-sulphur gasoil futures' premium to Brent crude rose over 5% to $26.14 after the news, close to its highest since late July.

FUEL SHORTAGES WIDEN

Fuel shortages have been widening across Russia.

Izvestia newspaper reported this week that Russia's No.2 oil producer Lukoil had banned the sale of gasoline in jerry cans at certain filling stations in Moscow.

Lukoil did not reply to a request for comment.

Sergei Aksyonov, the head of Russia-controlled Crimea, said on Thursday that disruptions in fuel supplies were related to the closure of some oil refineries.

(Reporting by Reuters; additional reporting by Seher Dareen in London; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)