Russia ramps up gasoline imports from Belarus to record levels
Russia has begun diverting gasoline from Belarus that was originally intended for Central Asian markets. But even record imports are not enough to fully ease the country's fuel shortage, according to the Russian newspaper Vedomosti.
Russia sharply increased gasoline imports from Belarus in June. During the first 25 days of the month, it imported 141,000 metric tons of fuel — the highest monthly volume on record.
According to Vedomosti, citing data from the Center for Price Indices, the figure is 2.4 times higher than total imports in May. By comparison, Russia imported just 1,000 metric tons of gasoline from Belarus in June 2025.
The Center for Price Indices said Belarus redirected fuel originally destined for Central Asia to the Russian market, allowing supplies to increase as Russia grappled with gasoline shortages.
Experts interviewed by the newspaper said the additional imports could provide some relief to Russia's fuel market but would not be enough to eliminate the shortage.
According to energy analyst Kyrylo Rodionov, Belarus can export between 1.8 million and 2 million metric tons of gasoline per year, or roughly 150,000 to 170,000 metric tons per month. That means June's deliveries to Russia had already nearly reached the country's monthly export capacity.
Earlier reports said repeated strikes on Russian oil refineries had forced several major plants to suspend operations, worsening the fuel shortage.
By late June, restrictions on gasoline sales or supply disruptions had been reported in about 90% of Russia's regions, while fuel prices climbed to record highs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged problems with fuel supplies but insisted the situation was "not critical."
