The instruction was given following the latest meeting on the fuel market situation, the government said. Novak also instructed continued joint work to saturate the domestic market with petroleum products and ensure stable supply to the regions.
At the meeting, the Ministry of Energy presented data on the current state of the market, fuel reserves, and the utilization of production capacity. Separate discussions covered supply to Tuva, Khakassia, Yakutia, Novosibirsk Oblast, and Krasnoyarsk Krai.
Industry companies reported on the implementation of previously issued instructions. The discussion covered deliveries of petroleum products to the most vulnerable regions, fulfillment of obligations under the northern supply program, and supplying regions with fuel at no lower than 2025 levels.
Preparation of risk scenarios is taking place against the backdrop of an ongoing gasoline shortage in the country. According to the gdebenzin service, by mid-September AI-92 was unavailable at nearly 45% of Russian gas stations, and AI-95 at 53%; at the end of August, these figures were 33% and 38%, respectively.
Since the beginning of 2026, Ukraine has attacked Russian refineries more than 70 times, and several dozen facilities have been taken out of service. According to EA Analytics, due to the disruptions, Russian oil refining has fallen to its lowest level since 2002, which has led to a fuel shortage and a ban on its export.
At the beginning of September, Vladimir Putin said that Russians should be prepared for a prolonged gasoline shortage; according to him, the authorities did not expect attacks on energy infrastructure facilities. According to Rosstat, by September 15 gasoline had become 21% more expensive on average compared with December 2025.
To make up the shortfall, Russia sharply increased fuel purchases from Belarus. From January to August, 866 thousand tons of gasoline from two Belarusian refineries entered the Russian market — 23 times more than a year earlier; diesel fuel supplies increased by 5.4 times, to 570 thousand tons.
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