Russia is importing jet fuel from Belarus at almost four times last year’s rate after drone strikes knocked out Moscow’s main refinery
Russia imported 5,170 metric tons of jet fuel from Belarus in May, nearly four times the volume recorded in May 2025, according to RBC, citing data from the Price Index Center (PIC).
In the first 10 days of June alone, deliveries reached 2,600 tons, the independent Russian business outlet The Bell reported.
There are no official statistics on the production, domestic consumption, or export of aviation fuel in Russia. According to PIC estimates, Russia produced 11.4 million tons of aviation fuel in 2025, of which 1.4 million tons came from the Moscow oil refinery in Kapotnya, which is owned by Gazprom Neft.
In June, Ukrainian drones struck the Moscow refinery. Citing sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reported that the damage will keep the plant offline through the end of 2026.
On June 1, 2026, the Russian government imposed its first temporary ban on jet-fuel exports. The government said the ban was meant to “ensure a stable situation on the domestic fuel market.”
The airline Azimut warned that Russia was facing a critical jet-fuel shortage and that operating flights no longer made “any economic sense.” The company reported that in early June, its main jet-fuel supplier said deliveries would have to be cut by about a third from the volumes the airline had requested. The supplier blamed “force majeure conditions at oil refineries” and the resulting drop in the aviation fuel available on the market.
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