As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate, Moscow is reportedly facing fuel shortages. With repeated attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian energy facilities, Moscow finds itself in the midst of a crisis.
According to Reuters, Russia has now turned to India for gasoline as part of its efforts to alleviate fuel shortages caused by the Ukrainian attacks, two industry officials told the news agency.
Fuel shortages are being felt across Russia’s 11 time zones, leading to rationing and long lines at gas stations amid a record increase in gasoline prices.
Furthermore, Russian President Vladimir Putin also acknowledged the shortage. In a speech, Putin stated that “problems remain for both motorists and businesses,” and “there are still queues at gasoline stations, and finding the right grade of gasoline is not always easy.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also acknowledged Russian shortcomings, saying in a statement on the Telegram app: “Putin can continue to claim on TV that everything is supposedly under control.”
He added that the Russians could see that the war had “reached the point where even the oil state — the gas station, as Russia was called — was now facing a gas shortage.”
Report claims Russia is turning to India for gasoline
Citing industry officials familiar with the matter, Reuters reported that India had sent 60,000 metric tons of gasoline to Russia.
People familiar with the matter told the news agency that two tankers were dispatched, each carrying parcels ranging from 30,000 to 40,000 tons.
While the Kremlin said it would reach out to allies for imported fuel, sources also told Reuters that Moscow plans to import a total of 400,000 tons of gasoline from different countries every month, including Belarus, which has already exported fuel to Russia.
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An official statement or comment is awaited from the Russian Energy Ministry and the Indian Oil Ministry.
A look at India and Russia’s oil trade
India and Russia have a long history of trading crude oil and petroleum. However, this trade came under the microscope after US President Donald Trump announced an additional 25% tariff on India for its purchase of Russian oil, and accused New Delhi of “fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine.”
However, amid the turmoil in the Strait of Hormuz due to the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, India was “allowed” to resume its oil trade with Russia.
According to LSEG and Kpler, India’s crude oil imports from Russia rose to a record high in June, up from the 36.5% recorded in May 2026.
