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Belarus fuel exports to Russia surge as Moscow faces domestic shortages

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Belarus fuel exports to Russia surge as Moscow faces domestic shortages
Illustrative purposes: A Russian oil field run by Rosneft Oil Company near the village of Sokolovka, Nov. 2020. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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.

Ukraine hits largest oil terminal in Russian-occupied Crimea, sparks massive blaze, General Staff confirms
The terminal can hold up to 250,000 tons of fuel, which supplies Russian forces.
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Sonya Bandouil

North American news editor

Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC. Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.

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