Russia has allowed some refineries to sell gasoline and diesel on the domestic market that fall short of “Euro-5” standards for sulfur content and other parameters.
The Russian business daily Kommersant reported that the decision was made in the fall of 2025 and was originally set to expire on May 1, 2026, but the deadline was extended amid a fuel shortage.
Fuel that does not meet “Euro-5” standards is intended strictly for the domestic market, sources told the outlet.
Even so, the relaxation of fuel quality requirements does not fully resolve the shortage, one source told Kommersant. The higher permissible sulfur levels still do not allow a significant portion of small refineries to operate, since their output does not meet even those parameters, the source explained.
Sergei Frolov, managing partner of NEFT Research, told Kommersant that the additional volumes of petroleum products could partially ease localized shortages observed in some regions. Fuel with elevated sulfur content, however, could damage modern vehicles, he warned.
The timely delivery of fuel to the regions remains a key problem for the market as well, he added.
Ukrainian forces have been regularly striking Russia’s oil industry facilities. By late May, Reuters reported, nearly all major refineries in central Russia had been forced to suspend or scale back production due to drone attacks.
In June, gas stations in various regions of Russia, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, began introducing limits on gasoline sales.
The most severe fuel shortage is in occupied Crimea, where supplies of gasoline and diesel have been disrupted by Ukrainian drone strikes on the highway linking the peninsula with Russia’s Rostov region.
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