Putin seeks emergency petrol as Russia runs on fumes

Russia has reportedly asked Kazakhstan to supply it with petrol as Ukrainian attacks on its refineries force it to import gasoline.

Kazakhstan has been asked to set up a reserve of 100,000 tonnes of gasoline, equivalent to 845,000 barrels, to supply Russia should shortages arise, Reuters reported.

It is unclear if a deal has been reached. The Kremlin has also been seeking supplies from Belarus.

Russia is normally an exporter of gasoline but Ukrainian drone attacks have significantly hit its refining capabilities, forcing it to rely on imports to meet demand.

Drone attacks have hit Russian refineries at least 12 times, including five in March alone, and can range hundreds of miles inside Russian territory. 

Ukraine has turned to attacks on Russian infrastructure as a way of hitting its wartime economy as neither side makes territorial gains on the ground.

More than 10pc of Russia’s refining capacity has been taken offline by the strikes, according to the Ministry of Defence.

A major Russian refinery on the border of Kazakhstan was also forced to shut down over the weekend due to heavy flooding.

Last month Russia banned gasoline exports for six months, which it said would allow prices to remain stable and give it time to repair refinery facilities. It had previously introduced a ban between September and November. In both cases, neighbouring ex-Soviet states are exempt from the ban.

Last year it exported 5.8m tonnes of gasoline, roughly 13pc of its total production. Certain parts of the country have suffered shortages, while gasoline prices hace risen.

The Russian government has said the attacks are not having a significant impact on the Russian economy because it is simply exporting more oil that it is unable to refine into petrol.

Kazakhstan has implemented its own ban on petrol exports for almost two years, saying it is seeking to balance supply and demand.

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