Kazakhstan has limited vehicle entries from Russia and neighbouring countries to one per day to tackle illegal fuel smuggling. The restrictions come amid a surge in Russians crossing the border to buy gasoline, as prices at home soar due to the Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Energy Kaiyrkhan Tutkyshbayev said freight and passenger vehicles were currently prevented from crossing the border more than once per day. Other measures included “identifying vehicles with additional fuel tanks for illegal fuel export,” Tutkyshbayev said in local press.
Forbes Kazakhstan reported that licence plate data showed there had been an increase in drivers from the Russian regions of Samara, Saratov and Orenberg, which border the west of Kazakhstan, visiting gas stations in the Central Asian country.
Kazakhstan’s government said that there had been nearly 600 attempts to illegally export petroleum products from the country since the beginning of the year.
Gasoline prices in western Kazakhstan are around 50 per cent cheaper than prices in the three Russian regions.
Ukraine has carried out a series of attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure in recent months in an attempt to stall Russia’s war. The strikes have triggered fuel shortages and surging prices across the country.
Russia has now introduced a ban on diesel exports in a bid to support the domestic fuel market and last week began importing gasoline from India in an effort to mitigate shortages.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently acknowledged the fuel shortages for the first time, but said they weren’t critical.
"It is absolutely clear that the enemy is trying to harm the economy and, most importantly, create nervous situation in the society. We all understand that this task is impossible to accomplish. The Russian energy system's resilience is very high, one of the highest in the world."
On Thursday (9 July), it's reported that two oil facilities in Russia were hit in Stavropol Krai and Tver.
Meanwhile Moscow fired ballistic missiles at Kyiv overnight and sent jet-powered drones over the city throughout Wednesday, killing at least three people, Ukrainian officials said.
Previously this week on Monday, Kyiv’s drones struck Russia’s largest oil refinery in Omsk, deep in Siberia, in one of Ukraine's longest-range attacks of the conflict.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s has a ban on the export of gasoline, diesel fuel, and certain types of petroleum products until 21 November, 2026. The measures are aimed at ensuring the country’s energy security.
Restrictions on the export of petroleum products have been in effect in Kazakhstan since May 2021 and have been extended on multiple occasions.
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further militar...
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or a...
Pakistan has declared hepatitis C a national emergency and launched a nationwide campaign to screen more than 164 million people, as it steps up effor...
French DJ and electropop musician Kavinsky, whose atmospheric sound shaped a generation of electronic music fans, has died at the age of 50, French authorities said on Tuesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that there is a good chance” of reaching a deal with Iran, but warned that Washington would resume military operation if negotiations fail.
Yemen warned the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy in the Red Sea, as U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a "good chance" of a deal with Tehran but warned strikes could resume if talks failed.
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
Moscow should stop linking Russia-Armenia relations to Azerbaijan, Baku's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada has said, after Russia again raised the Collective Security Treaty Organisation's role during the former Garabagh conflict.
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or an onboard technical fault. Egyptian authorities said there were no casualties.
Pakistan has declared hepatitis C a national emergency and launched a nationwide campaign to screen more than 164 million people, as it steps up efforts to eliminate one of the world's largest hepatitis C burdens by 2030.
Afghan refugees in Pakistan are delaying or avoiding medical treatment because they fear arrest under the country's deportation policy, leading to preventable illnesses including child malnutrition and pregnancy complications, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Kyrgyzstan is in talks with Russia over monthly supplies of 100,000 tonnes of petroleum products as Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries continue to disrupt fuel exports, forcing the Central Asian country to seek alternative sources.
Türkiye and Iraq have signed five agreements aimed at expanding cooperation in transport, infrastructure, education, youth, sports and industrial development. The deals were announced after talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in Ankara.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment