Crude-exporter Russia is importing petrol from India. Why this big shift?

In a rather unexpected shift, Russia, one of the world's largest exporters of oil (both crude and processed variants), has found itself having to import petrol from India, a country which imports nearly 90% of its domestic crude requirements. The reason behind this is the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War, which is now in its fourth year. We are going to tell you exactly what has turned crude-exporting Russia into a petrol-importing nation.According to a report in the New York-based financial news outlet, Bloomberg, Russia received a shipment of about 42,000 barrels of petrol from Indian processor Nayara Energy Ltd on August 5, last week, marking the first ever time Moscow has imported the fuel from India.Bloomberg reported that for the inaugural shipment, Russian-flagged products tanker Cyclone (formerly Agni) loaded a 42,000-ton petrol cargo from the port of Vadinar in Gujarat on June 18. The fuel was then transferred to the Oman-flagged Garnet at Damietta Port, off Egypt's Mediterranean coast, on July 6. That vessel then reached Russia in early August.And it's not the last such shipment. Bloomberg reported that at least two more ships had docked at Vadinar in July and taken onboard fuel before transferring them onto ships in Egyptian ports that are believed to be headed towards Russia. That same month, news agency Reuters, citing "industry sources", had reported that Moscow had started seaborne imports of oil, with one shipment of at least 60,000 metric tons of petrol having been dispatched from India to Russia. Another source said that two tankers, with parcels of 30,000 to 40,000 tons each, have been sent.The reason why Moscow has been compelled into buying petrol is a series of audacious drone strikes by Ukraine, which have crippled large sections of Russian refining infrastructure.UKRAINIAN DRONE STRIKES CRIPPLED RUSSIA'S REFINING INFRASTRUCTURE Russia is home to some of the world's largest proven oil reserves. Yet the country is facing a growing shortage of petrol.The shortage is partly a consequence of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, during which Kyiv has mounted a sustained campaign of long-range drone strikes against Russia's oil-refining infrastructure.While Ukraine began targeting Russian refineries in 2024, the pace of attacks picked up sharply in 2026.According to Reuters, Ukrainian drone strikes hit at least 16 Russian refineries between January and May this year. Between June and August, strikes hit at least 15 refineries and major refining facilities, including one refinery in Moscow located just 15 kilometres from the Kremlin.Other major facilities targeted included some of Russia's largest refineries, including those at Omsk, Ryazan and Orsk, which were hit between July and August.The strikes have had a significant impact on Russia's ability to process crude into fuel.Russian refineries processed an average of 3.91 million barrels of crude per day in early July, according to Energy Aspects data cited by Bloomberg. That was more than 1.4 million barrels per day below the previous year's average and the lowest national refining rate since March 2005.The disruption has contributed to a worsening domestic fuel situation. Russia, the world's second-largest crude oil exporter and third-largest exporter of refined petroleum products, imposed restrictions on fuel exports to preserve domestic supplies. Moscow has extended its ban on petrol exports through the end of 2026 and has also restricted diesel exports.Yet the measures have not prevented fuel shortages, with rationing reported across parts of Russia and the occupied Crimean Peninsula. The shortages have come at a particularly critical time. Reuters reported that Russian petrol consumption rises to at least 110,000 tonnes per day during the summer, when demand is at its peak.Even Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged in late June, during a meeting with government ministers and other officials, that Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries had contributed to fuel shortages in some regions, although he said Russia was managing the situation.In other words, Russia may have vast reserves of crude underground, but repeated attacks on the infrastructure needed to turn that crude into petrol have left the country scrambling to secure fuel.FACED WITH SHORTAGES, RUSSIA STARTS OIL IMPORTS FROM INDIAThis is where India comes in. According to Reuters, Russia began importing petrol from at least three countries in July, with overland supplies from Belarus and Kazakhstan complemented by seaborne cargoes from India.Russia plans to import around 400,000 tonnes of petrol a month from various countries, including neighbouring Belarus, which has already increased fuel exports to Russia.Belarus nearly tripled its petrol shipments to Russia by rail, reaching more than 70,000 tonnes in the first half of June, compared with the first half of May, according to Reuters calculations and sources."The emergence of Indian barrels is particularly notable," Sumit Ritolia, lead analyst at Kpler told Bloomberg. The cargoes, which complement continued imports from Belarus and other neighbouring markets, highlight "the severity of the current domestic gasoline (petrol) imbalance" and how lower refinery runs are reshaping Russia's traditional fuel trade flows, he said.According to Bloomberg, the Indian shipments are being dispatched by Nayara Energy, an India-Russia joint venture that operates the Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, one of India's largest refineries. Crucially, Russian energy giant Rosneft owns a 49.13% stake in Nayara Energy.At the same time, India's imports of Russian crude have hit an all-time high. Indian refiners imported a record 2.8 million barrels per day of Russian crude in July, accounting for about 55.5% of the country's total crude imports, according to Kpler data, cited by Bloomberg.So, it is because of Ukraine's long-range drone strikes that Russia, one of the world's largest exporters of crude, has found itself having to import refined petroleum from India, one of the world's largest importers of crude.- EndsPublished By: Shounak SanyalPublished On: Aug 13, 2026 07:00 IST