The Russian government on Monday announced a ban on aviation fuel exports effective until November 30, citing the need to protect domestic supply as Ukrainian strikes on refineries and energy infrastructure continue to take a mounting toll on the country’s fuel production capacity.
“The aim of this decision is to ensure stability in the domestic fuel market,” the government said in an official statement, offering little additional detail on the scale of the disruption driving the move.
Central Asia Feels The Squeeze
Russia is a major supplier of jet fuel to Central Asia, exporting primarily by rail to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
The ban is likely to create immediate supply pressures across the region, which has long depended on Russian energy exports to meet domestic aviation and industrial needs.
With no end date to the conflict in sight, neighbouring states may be forced to seek alternative suppliers at significantly higher cost.
Moscow had already moved to restrict gasoline exports prior to Monday’s announcement, though it has yet to impose formal curbs on diesel, a fuel that has come under its own set of pressures in recent months.
Drone Attacks Drain Output
The export ban comes as hard data begins to capture the true extent of the damage Ukraine’s drone campaign has inflicted on Russian refining capacity.
Diesel production in Russia fell by approximately 10% in May, compounding a similar 10% monthly drop recorded in April, according to a major news agency data published last Friday.
The back-to-back declines point to a sector under sustained and worsening strain, as drone strikes force refineries to reduce or halt output altogether.
Interfax, the Russian news agency, reported last week that the government was actively considering measures to address the diesel situation as well, suggesting further export restrictions could follow in the coming weeks.
Taken together, the restrictions paint a picture of an energy sector increasingly on the defensive and struggling to balance export commitments against a domestic market that can no longer be taken for granted.
(with input from Reuters)
