Belarus fuel exports to Russia surge as Moscow faces domestic shortages
Belarus’ rail-transported exports of gasoline to Russia surged fourfold in September as Russia has dealt with fuel shortages, Reuters reported on Oct. 7.
This has come amid a series of Ukrainian drone and missile strikes that have severely disrupted operations at Russian refineries, a key component of the Kremlin’s wartime economy. Some facilities have been forced to halt production indefinitely.
Industry sources said that gasoline shipments from Belarusian refineries to Russia’s domestic market reached 49,000 metric tons last month, while diesel deliveries totaled 33,000 tons.
Also, the amount of Belarusian gasoline shipped through Russia for export to other countries has risen by about 1% in the last month.
Several Russian regions have introduced fuel rationing and temporary price freezes after the attacks damaged refineries and other energy facilities.
Russia is also preparing to import gasoline from China and other Asian countries, including South Korea and Singapore, to offset the fuel shortage – following the shutdown of nearly 40% of its oil refining capacity, pro-government outlet Kommersant reported on Oct. 1.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
