Russia turns to India to meet petrol demand after oil infrastructure takes a hit in Ukraine strikes

Ukraine's strikes on Russia's oil refining infrastructure have forced the country to import gasoline, including from India, according to ship tracking data. While most of Russia's petrol imports come from Belarus and Kazakhstan, India is estimated to have shipped over 1 million barrels between June and July. This marks the first instance of Russia importing petrol from India, with the main supplier being Nayara Energy's Vadinar refinery, which has significant Russian shareholding.

Large volumes of Russian crude continue to arrive in India for Indian refineries, meaning some of the gasoline supplied to Russia is derived from its own Indian-refined oil. This shift in energy relationship between Moscow and New Delhi comes after India has been one of the top buyers of Russian crude for about four years. Russian oil, often sold at attractive prices due to Western sanctions, now accounts for a significant portion of India's crude imports.

The strikes, combined with refinery maintenance, summer demand, and logistical bottlenecks, have impacted Russia's petrol and diesel supplies. Moscow has restricted diesel exports to maintain a winter supply cushion but is still comfortable with diesel availability. However, petrol exports are out of the question, leading to limits on petrol supply at fuel stations across the country.