India Sends Record Petrol to Russia Amid Refinery Strikes

Indian refiners supplied nearly 1 million barrels of petrol to Russia over two months as Ukrainian drone attacks disrupted Russian refineries and pushed Moscow to increase fuel imports.

India has emerged as a key petrol supplier to Russia as repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries disrupt domestic fuel production and deepen shortages across the country. Indian refiners supplied nearly 1 million barrels of gasoline over the past two months, with a significant portion of the shipments coming from Nayara Energy’s Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, according to trade sources and shipping data.

The development marks an unusual shift in the global energy trade. Russia is one of the world’s largest crude oil producers and exporters, but damage to its refining infrastructure has forced Moscow to look overseas for finished petrol supplies.

Russia’s Petrol Imports Surge

Russia’s seaborne gasoline imports climbed to a record around 125,000 barrels per day in August, equivalent to roughly 470,000 tonnes for the month, according to energy analytics firm Vortexa. India, Turkey and Morocco emerged as key suppliers as Russia struggled to match domestic fuel production with demand.

The surge reflects the growing pressure on Russia’s refining network after repeated attacks on energy infrastructure.

Vortexa data cited in reports indicates that 32 attacks targeted Russian refineries during July and August, averaging roughly one attack every two days. The strikes have caused disruptions at several major facilities and sharply reduced petrol output.

Ukrainian Strikes Hit Refineries

Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russia’s energy infrastructure as part of its strategy to disrupt Moscow’s war economy and reduce energy revenues.

By late August, Russian gasoline production had fallen to around 70 per cent of domestic demand, according to Reuters. Daily output was reported at approximately 80,000 tonnes against summer demand of about 115,000 tonnes, leaving a substantial supply deficit.

The shortages have prompted regional authorities to introduce or restore fuel restrictions in some areas. Russia has also increased imports to compensate for lost refining capacity.

The situation is particularly significant because Russia has abundant crude oil but requires functioning refineries to convert that crude into usable petrol and diesel.

Vadinar Refinery Key Supplier

A substantial share of India’s petrol shipments to Russia reportedly originated from the Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, operated by Nayara Energy.

The refinery has a significant Russian connection: Rosneft owns a 50 per cent stake in Nayara Energy. The refinery’s role in supplying petrol to Russia therefore adds another dimension to the changing energy flows created by Western sanctions and the Ukraine conflict.

India has significantly increased its refining and trading role since 2022, buying large quantities of discounted Russian crude and processing it into petroleum products for domestic consumption and overseas markets.

Russian Crude Returns As Petrol

The latest trade also highlights an unusual energy cycle between India and Russia.

India imported more than 2.6 million barrels per day of Russian crude in June and July, compared with around 1 million barrels per day in February. Russian crude accounted for more than half of India’s total crude imports during those months, according to data cited in reports.

As a result, some of the petrol now being shipped from India to Russia may have been produced using Russian crude.

In effect, Russian crude can be transported to India, refined into finished petroleum products and subsequently shipped back to Russia to help address shortages created by damage to Russian refining capacity.

Sanctioned Ships Carry Cargo

The petrol trade is also taking place against the backdrop of Western sanctions and increasingly complex shipping arrangements.

Vortexa reported that approximately 55 per cent of Russia’s gasoline imports in August, or about 260,000 tonnes, arrived on sanctioned vessels.

The analytics firm said all India-origin gasoline cargoes imported by Russia during August were carried on sanctioned fleets and involved dark ship-to-ship transfers in the Mediterranean.

Around 40 per cent of Russia’s overall gasoline imports during the month reportedly moved through ship-to-ship transfers. Many such operations involved vessels switching off their Automatic Identification System signals, making their movements harder to track.

Moscow Extends Fuel Curbs

Russia has responded to the domestic shortage by tightening restrictions on fuel exports.

Moscow extended its complete petrol export ban covering both producers and non-producers until the end of January 2027. Restrictions on diesel exports were also extended through September 1, 2026.

The restrictions are intended to keep more fuel inside Russia and prevent domestic shortages from worsening.

However, the continuing refinery disruptions mean Moscow is simultaneously restricting exports while increasing imports of petrol from foreign suppliers.

Global Energy Trade Shifts

The India-Russia petrol trade underlines how the Ukraine conflict has reshaped global energy markets.

Sanctions initially redirected Russian crude towards buyers such as India, while Indian refiners expanded their role in processing and exporting petroleum products. Now, attacks on Russian refineries have created a situation in which Russia itself is importing finished fuel from countries that have become major buyers of its crude.

Russia’s diesel and gasoil exports have also remained under pressure. Vortexa estimated seaborne diesel and gasoil exports at around 150,000 barrels per day through August 25, about 610,000 barrels per day below the same period a year earlier.

For India, the development highlights the growing importance of its refining capacity and its position in global energy trade. For Russia, it demonstrates the vulnerability created when crude production remains strong but refinery operations are repeatedly disrupted.

Vortexa expects Russia to continue importing some petrol in the near term as Moscow works to close the domestic supply gap.