Such measures, according to the authorities, should stabilize the situation with the shortage and rising prices for automotive fuel in the Russian market.
Amid record fuel prices, Russia decided to completely stop supplying gasoline and diesel to other countries. The Russian government’s decree states that the ban is temporary, although for some reason the document does not specify the duration of the restrictions.
At the same time, Russian gasoline will still be supplied to countries that are members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). This is:
- Armenia;
- Belarus;
- Kazakhstan;
- Kyrgyzstan.
They also promise to supply fuel to the occupied territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as to the Svalbard archipelago. The latter is officially a territory of Norway, but it enjoys a special status that allows Russia to engage in mining there.
Russia is also going to provide fuel to military formations. The government document does not explicitly state which formations are being referred to, but it can be assumed that supplies to the combat zone in Ukraine are meant.
As for the restrictions themselves, the government assures Russians that the measures are temporary. They are supposed to help stabilize domestic fuel prices, which rose during the harvest.
Meanwhile, on September 22, Bloomberg wrote that Russia’s ban on diesel exports could exacerbate the shortage in global fuel markets due to increased demand in winter.
On Friday, according to journalists, diesel fuel rose by 4% to $30.21 per barrel. The publication emphasizes that this price is significantly lower than the August peak of $34 per barrel, which is the highest since January.
As a reminder, on September 21, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that the Ministry of Energy had already prepared a plan to stop fuel price increases. According to the Russian official, the government is ready for “radical steps.”
