Russia has allowed some oil refineries to produce fuel with lower environmental standards for the domestic market as repeated Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure disrupt supplies, according to a report by the Russian newspaper Kommersant.
The move comes as drone strikes on Russian refineries have sharply increased since the beginning of 2026, leading to partial or complete shutdowns of oil processing facilities and reducing the production of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
According to Kommersant, Russian authorities decided last autumn to relax environmental requirements for certain refineries to help avert potential fuel shortages. The measure was reportedly extended on 1 May.
Under the temporary rules, gasoline sold domestically can contain up to 150 parts per million (ppm) of sulphur, around 15 times the maximum level permitted in Europe, China and India.
The new standards also allow a higher concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons, compounds associated with environmental and health risks.
Reuters said it could not independently locate official documents detailing the regulatory changes.
Industry sources told the news agency that only a limited number of refineries have so far produced fuel under the relaxed specifications.
Despite the measures, reports of fuel supply disruptions have emerged in around a dozen Russian regions, according to information compiled by Reuters from media and social media reports.
Wholesale prices have also surged. Exchange-traded lots of AI-95 gasoline and diesel on the St Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange rose by 10% during the first half of June, and traders say prices remain unstable.
On Monday, officials in the Udmurt Republic, east of Moscow, announced temporary restrictions on the sale of AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline at service stations operated by Tatneft.
Meanwhile, long queues formed at petrol stations in the city of Sevastopol as motorists waited to refuel.
One driver, identified only as Alyona, expressed little confidence that the situation would improve soon.
"How can it be solved, how?" she said. "Only if the special military operation ends."
The latest disruptions highlight the growing pressure on Russia's energy sector as Ukrainian drone attacks increasingly target refineries and fuel infrastructure.
The strikes have complicated domestic fuel supplies and raised concerns about further shortages, forcing authorities to consider emergency measures that could come at the expense of environmental standards and fuel quality.
Türkiye and Qatar signed a mutual defence agreement on Friday, November 13, aimed at strengthening collective security and regional stability....
Europe will send a team of diplomats to Ukraine peace talks rather than a single envoy, EU leaders agreed on Friday at the end of a summit in Dubli...
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has launched its latest Starship flight into orbit, but failed to recover the rocket’s giant booster. ...
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence and energy high on the agenda. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held talks focused on peace, trade and regional cooperation.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is stepping down amid reports linking him to a woman suspected by U.S. authorities of spying for China, throwing the future of the $4 trillion chipmaker into uncertainty.
Kazakhstan’s security service has arrested Nurlan Zhakupov, CEO of Samruk-Kazyna, the country’s sovereign wealth fund, on suspicion of corruption. Yelzhas Otynshiyev, Chairman of KTZ, Kazakhstan’s national railway firm has also been detained.
Iran’s Assembly of Experts has backed withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and overhauling the country’s defence doctrine, calling both steps essential to national security and deterrence.
Eight people have been killed and at least 17 injured after an apartment building collapsed into a neighbouring construction site in Brooklyn, New York, as rescuers continued searching the rubble for possible survivors.
Europe will send a team of diplomats to Ukraine peace talks rather than a single envoy, EU leaders agreed on Friday at the end of a summit in Dublin.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has launched its latest Starship flight into orbit, but failed to recover the rocket’s giant booster. The 15th test flight lifted off from Starbase in the U.S. state of Texas on Friday (13 November).
More than 30 people have been taken to hospital after a cargo ship collided with a passenger cruise docked on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday (13 November).
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration lifted a nationwide ground stop on Friday (13 November) after a communications failure at air traffic control centres caused chaos at airports and triggered the longest nationwide shutdown since the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
The son of former CIA Director John Brennan has been charged with “transportation of child pornography”, according to court documents and a U.S. law enforcement official.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment