Russia’s government has extended its temporary ban on exports of motor gasoline, diesel fuel and several other oil products through February 28, 2026 . The gasoline export ban applies to all exporters, including producers. Restrictions on exports of diesel, marine fuel and gasoil, however, do not apply to the producers themselves. The decrees were signed on December 25 and 26 and take effect upon official publication.
The Russian government said the measures are aimed at “maintaining stability in the domestic fuel market.” Earlier restrictions were set to expire at the end of December; the government has now prolonged them by two more months.
The extension comes amid a widening fuel crunch that authorities publicly acknowledge, while largely attributing it to “maintenance” and “seasonal demand.” As The Insider’s analysis has shown, since the summer of 2025 Ukrainian drones under the DeepStrike strategy have regularly struck Russian refineries 500 km or more from the border, hitting key primary processing units — “deeper, more often, more powerful.” According to Reuters and Bloomberg estimates, the attacks have cut Russia’s refining capacity by 10–17%, with new strikes occurring faster than plants can restore operations.
Against this backdrop, regions have periodically reported fuel supply disruptions. In October and November, authorities in Zabaykalsky Krai and other Far Eastern regions reported shortages of AI-92 gasoline, sales limits and lines at filling stations. Industry sources told The Insider the situation stemmed from supply imbalances after refinery damage and the manual redistribution of fuel between regions.
At the same time, authorities are rolling out emergency support for the sector. In October, Vladimir Putin barred zeroing out payments under the fuel damper until May 2026, effectively guaranteeing compensation to oil companies even amid high domestic prices. The same decree exempted from excise tax diesel fuel produced by blending components without using refining capacities. In addition, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak proposed temporarily allowing the previously banned additive monomethylaniline (MMA) to boost output of high-octane gasoline, explicitly citing risks to domestic fuel supplies.
