Russia plans to import gasoline as Ukrainian drone strikes cripple refineries

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The Kremlin confirmed Tuesday that Russia is in talks to import gasoline from abroad, an extraordinary step for one of the world’s largest oil exporters, as Ukrainian drone strikes continue to disrupt the country.

This acknowledgment marks the clearest sign yet that Moscow is struggling to stabilize its domestic fuel market after months of Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries and energy infrastructure.

“Discussions are actively being held,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that imports would proceed if agreements could be reached “at acceptable price points.” He declined to identify the countries involved.

Russia is the world’s second-largest crude oil exporter and third-largest exporter of refined petroleum products, making the prospect of gasoline imports politically and economically surprising.

Russian President Vladimir Putin over the weekend publicly acknowledged that Russia faces a fuel shortage, saying national gasoline reserves have fallen to 1.7 million metric tons — around 4 percent lower than a year ago.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has described imports as one of the government’s key tools for stabilizing the market, while Russian lawmakers last week approved tax changes creating subsidies to help finance gasoline purchases from abroad.

The supply squeeze has already prompted fuel rationing in several Russian regions and in occupied Crimea.