Russia has extended its restrictions on gasoline and diesel exports through January 31, 2027 — a move announced just five days after officials indicated the diesel ban would be lifted once the domestic fuel market recovered.

Moscow initially imposed a ban on diesel exports from July 8 through July 31 following repeated Ukrainian drone strikes that forced refineries offline, causing fuel shortages and price spikes across the country. The strikes are part of a sustained campaign targeting Russian energy infrastructure that has periodically disrupted operations at major facilities such as Ryazan, Kstovo, and Kirishi. Exports of gasoline and jet fuel were already restricted prior to the diesel ban.

The new order covers gasoline, diesel, marine fuel, and gas oils. Under the revised framework, beginning September 1, Russian producers will be permitted to export diesel, marine fuel, and gas oils, though other exporters will remain excluded. Gasoline restrictions will stay in effect.

Shipments conducted under intergovernmental agreements or delivered as humanitarian aid will continue unabated.

Russia has also implemented a separate procedure effective through November 1 to ensure sufficient fuel supplies for farmers during the harvest season. An additional measure is designed to guarantee gasoline and diesel availability for state and local government institutions.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated last weekend that several refineries had resumed operations and that conditions at filling stations had improved markedly. He acknowledged, however, that certain regions — particularly in Siberia — were still experiencing difficulties.

The extension comes at a time when the global diesel market is already under significant strain. Goldman Sachs estimates that global diesel exports fell 35% in July, equating to approximately 2.6 million barrels per day, while total refinery throughput declined by 6.5 million bpd compared to the same period a year earlier.

Russia has historically ranked among the world's largest diesel exporters, shipping roughly one million barrels per day before its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Following the EU's February 2023 ban on seaborne imports of Russian refined products, those flows were redirected to buyers in Turkey, Brazil, parts of Africa, and other non-Western markets. Every barrel that Moscow now retains for domestic use reduces supply for those buyers already competing for diminished volumes from the Middle East.

While Russia may reopen a narrow export channel for producers in September, the broader restrictions now extend well into 2027 — signaling that the state of Russia's fuel market may be more precarious than official assurances of a temporary crisis suggest.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com