Russia faces petrol shortages following Ukraine's strikes on its oil refineries
Russia is experiencing petrol shortages following Ukrainian strikes on its oil refineries.
Source: The Moscow Times, citing data from the pro-government media outlet Kommersant
Details: On 8 May, suppliers sold 32,640 tonnes of petrol on the exchange – 5.9% less than the previous day. Sales of A-92 fell by 8.9% to 20,340 tonnes, while A-95 rose by 1.5% to 12,240 tonnes.
Meanwhile, unmet solvent demand reached 23,460 tonnes for A-92 and 26,340 tonnes for A-95.
Ahead of the peak consumption season, a supply shortage of A-95 petrol has already formed on the market. Usually, demand for this grade grows faster in summer than for A-92, as during the holiday season, consumers make greater use of cars designed for A-95.
The shortage has been caused by "unscheduled repairs" at major refineries and reduced output of petroleum products.
Repairs may take more than a month, while delivery times in early May have already increased by an average of two to four weeks. This situation prevents market participants from building sufficient reserves, increasing the risk of fuel shortages in summer.
Meanwhile, exchange prices remain relatively stable due to a mechanism that limits price fluctuations to +0.01% and -3% from the current market price.
Over-the-counter volumes are being sold at a premium of around 10% above exchange prices, but supply remains limited in this segment as well.
"Demand exceeds supply by several times – possibly by more than tenfold," a source told the publication.
Background:
- Since the beginning of 2026, Ukraine has carried out more than 20 strikes on Russia's oil infrastructure, including refineries, export terminals and pipelines, causing losses exceeding US$7 billion.
- In particular, Ukrainian attacks on oil infrastructure in the Black Sea city of Tuapse have caused damage exceeding US$300 million. Over the course of a month, the refinery and port in the city were attacked four times.
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