RUSSIA IS NOW BUYING BACK ITS OWN FUEL
According to Reuters, Russia has begun importing gasoline from India as domestic fuel shortages continue.
India has reportedly already shipped around 60,000 tons of gasoline by sea, with Moscow planning to import up to 400,000 tons per month from India and other suppliers, including Belarus.
The irony is difficult to ignore.
Russia exports crude oil to India.
India refines it.
Then Russia buys back the finished gasoline—often at a higher price.
All of this comes as Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries continue to disrupt domestic fuel production and distribution.
Industry sources told Reuters that Russia consumes roughly 110,000 tons of gasoline every day during the summer, underscoring the scale of the challenge.
Earlier, amid growing shortages, Russian authorities also classified fuel price data, making it harder for the public to track rising costs.
For a country that is one of the world’s largest oil producers, having to import refined gasoline from abroad is a striking reminder that producing crude oil and refining it into usable fuel are two very different things.
Ukraine’s long-range strikes are increasingly targeting that difference.
