Russia on Thursday said it would extend its petrol export ban until the end of 2025, as Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries drive prices to an all-time high.
The ban, which has been in effect since March, aims to ensure the country has enough fuel to meet domestic demand as Ukrainian strikes curb production.
Kyiv has been targeting Russian refineries for months, calling the attacks fair retribution for Moscow’s own barrages and an attempt to cut off energy revenues that fund Russia’s army.
“We will extend the ban on petrol exports until the end of the year in the near future,” state news agency TASS quoted Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak as saying.
The government will also introduce a ban on exporting diesel fuel for retailers and traders, he added.
A wave of Ukrainian strikes over the summer hit processing capacity at several key facilities, pushing fuel prices higher and leading to shortages in some regions.
The annexed Crimean peninsula is facing fuel shortages due to “a reduction of production volumes at Russian refineries,” the local Moscow-backed administration said on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Kyiv hit a major Russian oil refinery in the central Bashkortostan region, sparking a large fire.
bur/lth
© Agence France-Presse
