Russia weighs diesel export ban as Ukrainian strikes deepen fuel crisis

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on June 23 Russia is considering a diesel export ban as fuel shortages spread from Crimea to Moscow, while the government also weighed fuel imports and tax changes. Vladimir Putin said the Ukrainian strikes on civilian infrastructure were meant to destabilize society, and regions across Russia have already seen fuel-sale restrictions, higher prices and long lines at filling stations. Russia normally exports crude and oil products, but attacks on refineries have already forced bans on gasoline and jet fuel exports.

Russian-held authorities in Crimea suspended children's summer camps and tourist activities until September 1, and fuel stations there stopped sales to the public and businesses after attacks on sea routes and supply roads disrupted supplies. On June 21, a Ukrainian drone attack on the peninsula killed four people and wounded 28, while separate strikes in Russia's Krasnodar region hit an oil transport facility and set an oil terminal ablaze.

On June 16, a Ukrainian drone strike started a fire at Gazprom Neft's Moscow oil refinery, the biggest fuel supplier to the Moscow region, and industry sources said the plant halted operations after damage to a primary unit that accounts for 53% of capacity. Two days later, scores of Ukrainian drones hit Moscow again, striking the same refinery in a major attack on the capital. A Reuters tally shows Ukraine's attacks on refineries have doubled since the start of 2026, reducing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel output.

On June 11, the Institute for the Study of War said authorities in occupied Sevastopol were struggling with worsening gasoline shortages because fuel trucks could not reach the city, and on May 31 it said Ukraine's mid-range strike campaign was disrupting Russian logistics from occupied Luhansk Oblast to Crimea. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on June 3 that strikes deep inside Russia let Kyiv negotiate on an equal footing. Moscow's current response includes import plans and export limits.