Key facts
- Russia buying gasoline from India to tackle domestic shortages
- Ukrainian drone attacks on refineries caused Russia's summer fuel crisis
- India has been a major buyer of discounted Russian crude since 2022
- India's surplus refining capacity enables it to export fuel products
Russia has begun buying gasoline from India to ease a domestic fuel shortage caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on its oil refineries, Reuters reported exclusively, citing sources familiar with the transactions. The strikes have damaged Russian refining infrastructure and squeezed summer fuel supplies, pushing Moscow to seek imports from a country it has been supplying with cheap crude oil since the start of the Ukraine war.
The development marks a striking reversal in the flow of energy trade between the two countries. Since 2022, India has been one of the largest buyers of discounted Russian crude, which Indian refiners have processed into fuel products. That refining activity has left India with surplus petroleum product capacity, making it a natural — if geopolitically sensitive — source for Moscow's immediate needs.
Ukraine's drone campaign against Russian oil infrastructure has intensified over recent months, targeting refineries deep inside Russian territory. According to The Hindu, the strikes have contributed directly to Russia's summer fuel crisis, complicating the Kremlin's ability to sustain both military operations and civilian supply simultaneously.
For India, the transactions raise complex questions. New Delhi has carefully maintained a policy of strategic autonomy, refusing to condemn Russia's invasion while deepening energy ties with Moscow. Selling refined fuel to Russia could draw fresh scrutiny from Western governments watching Indian energy diplomacy closely, even as Indian officials argue their trade relationships remain independent of geopolitical alignments.